Wongers give the leaders a battle
Interim boss Lewis Burchnall felt Horncastle Town could hold their heads high despite losing out 3-0 to high-flying Nettleham last weekend.
Saturday’s visitors are battling it out for the league title and went six points clear as a result, although second-place Immingham have two games in hand.
There was little to separate the two sides in the first half until a dubious penalty was given to put The Ham ahead.
They extended their lead minutes later when a loose ball was turned home.
Archie Offord’s header went just past the post for Horncastle, but the game was effectively killed off within minutes of the restart when a mis-hit cross found the top corner to make it 3-0.
And Burchnall felt Horncastle were unlucky not to get more from the game.
He said: “It was always going to be a difficult game against Nettleham with us both at opposite ends of the table, but we felt we could compete with them, and we did that pretty comfortably for the first half an hour or so.
"Unfortunately the momentum swung in their favour with a penalty decision that neither team could quite believe was given, and then another goal followed straight after.
“We really felt at half-time that if we got the next goal in the game we could get something, but luck went against us with their third goal and it was a big ask to get back into it from there.
"I can’t fault the lads at all though - you could see after the game they’d given absolutely everything and that’s all I ever ask of them.
“We’ve got three league games to go and we can still finish as high as ninth so that’s what we’re aiming for.”
The first team welcomed Skegness Town Reserves to The Wong on Wednesday night, after this week’s News had gone to press.
They’ll then have a two-week break before the return fixture with Skegness, before hosting Barton Town Reserves to round things off on Saturday, May 6.