Underdogs praised by Horncastle Town boss after thrilling cup tie win at Beckwood Rovers
Joint Horncastle Town manager Will Rawdon had praise for the fighting spirit of underdogs Beckwood Rovers as they made life hard for his side before the visitors won their Lincolnshire County Junior Cup tie 3-2 on Saturday.
The Scunthorpe & District Football League hit back from 2-0 to level before being pipped and Rawdon said: “It was a tough cup tie and full credit to Beckwood who gave us a game.
“We had long spells of pressure and possession and created plenty of chances to put the game to bed, but we just weren’t clinical enough.
“At 2-0 up we should have gone on to make it three or four, but they showed great fighting spirit to get back level and made us work hard for it.
“We were nowhere near the levels we’ve been at in recent weeks — it was a typical cup tie, and a reminder that you can’t just turn up and expect to win against a side from a lower division.
“We also had a goal wrongly chalked off which could have changed the flow of the game, but I’m proud of how the lads dug in and got the job done.
“As I said in the dressing room, there’s a real togetherness about this group.”
He continued: “We’ve lost three or four players since the start of the season, but we’ve also added three or four and the squad now feels honest and tight in everything they do.
“Cup football is about getting through, and we did that — so we’ll throw that one in the bin and move forward.
“We now look forward to training where we’ll work on a few things before heading back into league action on Friday night under the lights away at Grimsby Borough Reserves.
“They’re a side around us in the table and will be desperate for points.
“So we need to get back on the horse, perform well, and make sure we come away with something from the game — however it comes.”
There were chances for both sides in the first half but it was Town who broke the deadlock when Molice Harry rose high above everybody to nod in the opener.
Town started the second half in the perfect fashion as Liam Cotton headed in Will Rawdon’s corner. However, the two-goal lead was quickly wiped out when Beckwood struck back once and then equalised with a rocket into the top corner.
Molice put in his usual industrious display and was rewarded for his efforts as he got two bites of the cherry to finish high into the net and put Town back in front.
Cotton scored another header which was wrongly ruled out for offside, and at the other end Town were indebted to substitute keeper Adam Ward for a superb one-on-one save to ensure the victory.
The next round will be played on Saturday, 22nd November.