One step forward but two back for March Town as league victory followed by Invitation Cup embarrassment
Ondre Odain has been missing through injury in recent weeks, but the Hares are set to welcome him back to their squad this weekend against Team Bury. - Credit: Archant
March Town’s assistant manager proved to be an unlikely goalscoring hero as they collected a welcome Thurlow Nunn League First Division win.
Number two Scott Beeny was forced into a first starting appearance of the season at struggling Cornard last Saturday due to an injury crisis.
And he responded by hitting the only goal early in the second half to secure a victory which came complete with a first clean sheet of the season for his goalkeeping brother, David.
Boss Chris Bartlett handed a debut to youngster James Youles while Brett Liddy got his first tastes of first-team football when being introduced as a substitute.
Bartlett said: “Scott has had knee problems so doesn’t play anymore, but we were so short of players that we had to press him into action.
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“He came up with the goal that ensured we got the three points a scrapping performance deserved on a day when we had seven first-choice players out.
“It was ugly at times, just as we knew it would be, but it was a case of having to play to the conditions as there aren’t many pitches conducive to good football at this time of the year.”
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But that success was followed by a disappointment as March were dumped out of the Cambs Invitation Cup only four days later.
The Hares crashed to a horror 5-1 home defeat at the hands of lower-level Fulbourn Institute in a Tuesday quarter-final tie.
A spectacular long-range strike from David Jackson was nowhere near enough to lift the gloom at the GER.
But Bartlett was not too despondent. He added: “We scored an own goal, made a mistake for a goal and another was a mis-hit, but there is no doubt Fulbourn deserved their win.
“I changed a few things just as I did in the previous round. It worked then, but it didn’t on Tuesday. It’s not a cup we’re ever going to win though with the likes of Cambridge City and Wisbech still in it.
“The First Division KO Cup is the one we will be having a real go at even though we’ve been drawn away to the league leaders Wivenhoe in the quarter-finals.”
Bartlett hopes to welcome back two of his top attacking talents tomorrow.
Leading scorer Ondre Odain is expected to return when the Hares host lowly Team Bury in the First Division, 3pm, after missing four matches with ankle trouble.
And flying wideman Matt Barber could also be passed fit for battle after three games out with a groin injury.
