The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Alfie hits a hat-trick to boost survival bid
SAWTRY COLTS YELLOW .. 3 WISBECH ST MARY PURPLE .............................. 2 Under 13 Division Two
SAWTRY Colts went for a Burton as they took a giant step towards Division Two survival.
Needing to beat the struggling Saints to move clear of the drop zone for the first time this season, Sawtry clinched the result they so desperately needed thanks to an Alfie Burton hat-trick.
The vital relegation clash with struggling Saints wouldn’t have gone ahead had Sawtry boss Gary Smith not decided to book the 3G pitch at the Grange. And the artificial pitch clearly suited a natural goalscorer like Burton as Sawtry snatched the vital points.
Smith said: “I have coached quite a bit on 3G in the past but it was new for a lot of the boys although I thought they coped with it very well. We knew it was a massive game for both teams with relegation still a big issue for us and I am delighted that we were able to get the result we needed.
“Obviously Alfie had a great game but all the boys were superb and they really showed what they can do when they are at full strength. Losing players and others getting injured has been a massive problem for us and it has meant we have been stuck in the bottom two.
“But this result has moved us clear and a point or two from our last two games should see us alright.”
After dominating the early exchanges, Sawtry took the lead when Burton opened his account with a headed goal from an Adam Smith corner in the 20th minute.
But try as they might the Colts couldn’t build on their advantage and early in the second half the Saints equalised when Callum Elsey broke clear before sending his shot past Freddie Nelson in the Sawtry goal into the bottom corner.
Stung into action, Sawtry hit back almost immediately when Bradley Bird put Burton in for his second of the game. And when Burton sank the treble after latching onto an Oscar Sephton cross, the Colts looked like galloping away with it.
The Fen lads clearly had other ideas, however, and Bartek Ziabka set up a nervy finale when he netted with five minutes to go to make it 3-2. But Sawtry stuck to their guns and held on for the win that should guarantee them Division Two football next season.