SENIOR FOOTBALL ROUND-UP Midland Counties Youth Championship Huntingdonshire U18s 2 Derbyshire U18s 1 HUNTS maintained their unbeaten record in the Championship this season with a win at home against Derbyshire. Home keeper Carl Mackney endured a busy f

SENIOR FOOTBALL ROUND-UP

Midland Counties Youth Championship

Huntingdonshire U18s 2 Derbyshire U18s 1

HUNTS maintained their unbeaten record in the Championship this season with a win at home against Derbyshire.

Home keeper Carl Mackney endured a busy first 10 minutes, including saving a penalty he had given away, as the vistors exerted early pressure. Things looked worse for Hunts when striker Glenn Thrale sustained an ankle injury and was replaced by Adam Berrill.

The substitute made an immediate impact, however, and earned the home side a penalty after 15 minutes. Carl Taylor stepped up and put Hunts in front. Berrill continued to threaten the Derbyshire goal but the half ended with the score at 1-0.

The visitors started the second-half well, wasting a clear chance of levelling the score early-on, before a penalty in Derbyshire's favour enabled Matthew Phillips to level the scores.

Hunts responded well, raising their game only to be denied by some good keeping. Mackney put in some good saves of his own to keep the scores level before a goal-keeping error at the other end allowed Berrill to lob the ball into an open goal to clinch the win four minutes from time.

In a close game, Hunts just about deserved their win, which will keep confidence high for the next match.

United Counties League Division One

Eynesbury Rovers 2 Burton Park Wanderers 0

GOALS from David Fisk and Peter Collins helped Eynesbury Rovers return to winning ways against Burton Park Wanderers at the weekend.

Few chances fell for either side in the first-half, with a close-range shot from Eynesbury's Stuart Harper going over the bar one of the highlights.

The second-half started with Burton creating several chances only for poor finishing to let them down and keep the scores level. Despite good opportunites for Burton, Rovers keeper Ben Houseago only had a shot from Percy Tarcey to trouble him.

As the half progressed Rovers got more into the game. A strong run from Craig Smith into the penalty area ended in a corner for the home side and a minute later Collins beat his marker only to shoot wide.

The breakthrough for Eynesbury came after 73 minutes as Fisk picked up a through ball and beat his marker.

Wanderers' keeper Liam Fox saved the shot before Fisk showed good reactions to hit the loose ball home to take the lead.

Three minutes after conceding, Burton were reduced to 10 men when Dean Bland was shown a straight red card for a poor challenge on Fisk. Rovers continued to pressurise, with good keeping from Fox denying shots from Collins and Taylor.

Eynesbury made the game safe with just two minutes remaining when a through ball from Stuart Humphreys on the halfway line picked out the unmarked Collins, who rounded the keeper to score. Another Fox save denied Taylor in the dying minutes, but the points were by then already in the bag.

Rovers' boss Dean Shipp was pleased with his team's efforts: "We took a while to get into the game, but we upped the pace and played fairly well. We were happy to keep a clean sheet, which is credit to a good defensive display.

"The result was better than the performance in the end, but it is the three points that are the most important thing for us at this stage of the season," added Shipp.