Skegness United gain revenge at Woodhall Spa

Skegness United left Woodhall Spa with three vital league points on Saturday.

And in doing so they reversed their defeat in early December.

It was a much-changed United side which took the field from the one last month.

This turned out to be one of United’s best team performances of the season, dominating the play from beginning to end.

During the game Alex Kendrick in the visiting goal only had two shots to deal with in the whole match, and these did not cause him any problems.

In the opening minutes it was United who had control of the match, however the first shot came from the home side, from distance and high over the bar.

Although United were having all the play, it was 20 minutes before they had their first real chance, when Brett Dennis shot wide of the upright.

Five minutes later United took the lead when Danny Wilkes broke down the left and squared for Michael Hardy to fire home from 10 yards.

United dominated play up to the interval and, on a number of occasions, it was last-gasp defending from Woodhall which kept the score down.

Within two minutes of the start of the second period, United went 2-0 up.

A long kick by Kendrick eluded the two home central defenders and Dennis went on to round home keeper Andrew Money and plants the ball into the empty net.

Shortly afterwards Wilkes was only inches wide of increasing the lead when he cut in from the left.

Although Woodhall were seeing more of the ball than in the first half they were causing few problems due to the United defence being well marshalled by Jamie Lyall.

As the game progressed United were keeping the home defence at full stretch, with excellent movement off the ball in midfield with Hardy, Wilkes, Kurt Crossley and John Courtney dominating the midfield area.

At the final whistle United had gained the points to keep the pressure at the top end of the table, against one of their main title rivals.

Keaton Grainger was drafted in at left back to combat Woodhall’s danger man Blake Kenneally-Forrester, and he stuck to his role well.

UNITED: Kendrick, Gray, Grainger, Mansell, Lyall, Rayner-Mistry, Wilkes, Hardy, Dennis (Turner), Courtney, Crossley (Howitt); Subs (not used): Anthony Miller.

Hogdkinson Man of Match: Keaton Grainger.