Saturday March 28th 2009

CAMBS Ladies Premier League

Market Deeping Ladies 1st XI (3) vs Wisbech Ladies 2nd XI (0)

Wisbech conceded this Premier league game leaving Deeping locked into second place in their first season in the Premier league – a remarkable achievement.

CAMBS Ladies Div 2

Market Deeping Ladies 2nd XI

CAMBS Mens Div 2 N

Market Deeping 1st IX (5) vs Sudbury 1st XI (2)

It all had to go right for Deeping in this extremely important end of season game. Although four sides are already down from 2N, the possible relegation of City of Peterborough from the National League may mean that five teams are for the drop. Deeping were sitting dangerously poised fifth from bottom but with a game in hand.
If only they’d played like this all season. An almost full strength side recalled veteran club captain Simon Wilmot from the seconds and he responded with a masterful performance at sweeper, and in and out first and second team striker Henry Winfield-Chislett remembered his goal-scoring skills when it mattered.
A close first ten minutes suddenly saw Deeping blaze into life against driving rain and hail which caused a brief break in the game, as they scored a cleverly well-worked short corner, courtesy of a clever final touch by full back Andy Cannings, then struck again seconds later as Peter Jeffery got on the end of a smooth passing move and wobbled into the D before skilfully beating the keeper on the reverse stick.
Deeping continued to apply pressure until a hotly disputed third goal came courtesy of Winfield-Chislett.
Sudbury with nothing to play for had added several youngsters to their first team and it wasn’t working. Good keeping from Stuart Ireland kept them at bay backed by a fast and hard-working Deeping midfield with Andy Brassington prominent and the backs tackling well and picking up every loose ball.
A string of short corners on the stroke of half-time saw Sudbury get one back and this was followed by a nervous start to the second half. Deeping conceded a second disputed goal three minutes in then defended with both clumsiness and tenacity- and with more good keeping and two clearances off the line.
Weathering this seemed to inspire Deeping and they played some outstanding hockey for the rest of the half with John Plant and Pete Jeffery finding the forwards unmarked and building steadily.
A brilliant bit of advantage umpiring saw James Sharpe pounce to smash a high ball home reverse stick for a fourth, then the unselfish work of Winfield-Chislett saw him beautifully set up by a return pass to score. Andy Kind’s shot was goal-bound when it struck Paul Tancred’s feet.
Deeping then settled down to wait for the next day’s vital slip date final game of the season against bottom side Cambs City 4th.

Market Deeping 1st IX (5) vs Cambridge City 4th XI (4)

Deeping may well have done enough to stay in Division Two thanks to a James Sharpe Sunday hat trick, but as the man said it was “a darn close-run thing”. Relegated Cambridge’s cobbled together team bore little resemblance to the side beaten 5-0 by City of Peterborough the previous day but included some quality players. With nothing to lose they constantly took the game to Deeping and rattled Deeping’s weary looking defence.
However it began well for Deeping as they found space down the left and Chris Mann’s pass across the face of the goal was tipped in by Sharpe. After a lot of midfield to-ing and fro-ing, with John Plant and Peter Jeffery dominant the influential Paul Tancred nipped in behind the defence to dab the ball past the keeper, and just seconds later Deeping carved straight through a sleeping Cambs defence to leave Sharpe a similar deflection home.
At 3-0 after a brilliant diving goal-line clearance by skipper Woods it seemed to be game over as Cambs had a short corner disallowed before half time.
Early in the second half, Cambs hit back with two short corners. Deeping replied when Andy Kind lifted the ball over a recumbent keeper only to see the goal-bound effort poached by Sharpe.
Deeping were then perhaps fortunate to be awarded a penalty stroke from Sharpe’s goal-bound short corner effort when it hit a foot, but would probably not have invited their only non-scorer of the season Andy Brassington to take it had they known what was to follow. He neatly tucked it away for 5-2.
Deeping tried to play keep ball but two Cambridge goals piled on the pressure with five minutes left and Deeping survived two last minute short corners - with Stuart Ireland again magnificent in the Deeping goal - to hang on.
Now they wait for other results next week.

CAMBS Mens Div 4 NW

Market Deeping 2nd XI vs St Ives 2nd XI

St. Ives had the wrong start time for this top of the table encounter and both sides will now wait on the league’s ruling.

CAMBS Mens Div 6 NW

March Town 4th XI (4) vs Market Deeping 3rd XI (5)

An amazing Deeping come-back sealed Deeping’s 3rd XI’s rapid return to Div 5NW in this must win game at March as they overturned a three goal deficit to run out 5-4 winners against the only team that could deny them promotion – and win it themselves - March Town 4ths.
Trailing by 4-1 with only eleven minutes remaining it looked certain that Deeping would lose this crucial encounter, but urged on by their vocal traveling support, a tremendously spirited team effort earned a series of short corners which one by one were converted as March's confidence faltered and Deeping's grew.
Jas Phagora started the fight back with a low strike to the left corner to bring the score to 4-2, but it was several minutes later before Ben Walden forced the ball home from a far scrappier short corner routine to bring it back to 4-3. By now Deeping's players were beginning to believe a miracle turnaround could be possible, and Rob Glover twice came close to finishing flowing passing moves with powerful shots denied by the March keeper diving full length across his goal. Then a fine darting run by Matt Brown drew a stick tackle in the D, and from the resulting short corner, Walden dug the ball out from under the sprawling March keeper for Phagora to bring the scores level.
A draw would have been enough to see Deeping only needing a win to go up, but from the outset the team wanted to clinch promotion at March, and so continued to push hard for the winner. In the penultimate minute Deeping forced the March defenders to concede yet another short corner. Phagora's initial short was blocked, but he was to quick to follow up and slam the ball home with a reverse stick sweep to gain his hat trick and a jubilant, 'boy's own' victory for Deeping.
While the last ten minutes of this match which will long be remembered by both teams, the drama started before the opening whistle as play was delayed by a fierce hailstorm that both stung and froze the already nervous players. Deeping regained their focus the faster, and started brightly, pinning March in their half for the first quarter, until two defensive lapses in quick succession saw some impressive March finishing put the visitors 2-0 down. Ben Dalgleish brought Deeping back into the game before half time, cutting in from the right wing to strike home a loose ball from an acute angle.
Deeping started the second half confident they had the share of possession and play necessary to win the game, but two more defensive errors gifted March a seemingly unassailable lead. Skipper Kev Baker cleared off the line to prevent Deeping going further behind, before the Great Escape began.