RIDGEONS UNDER-18 ROUND-UP Northern Division Grantham 2 Ely City 3 ON a freezing Tuesday night Ely made the long 70-mile trip to Grantham and deservedly came away with all three points with a solid all-round performance and although the score looked clos

RIDGEONS UNDER-18 ROUND-UP

Northern Division

Grantham 2 Ely City 3

ON a freezing Tuesday night Ely made the long 70-mile trip to Grantham and deservedly came away with all three points with a solid all-round performance and although the score looked close, City were comfortable winners.

City opened the scoring on 20 minutes with the goal of the game. Liam Hart received the ball on the halfway line and turned superbly to race clear of three defenders and unleash an unstoppable shot from 20 yards.

Grantham were gifted an equaliser from the penalty spot after Lawrie Carter needlessly pulled down an opposing forward, the resulting penalty was well saved by Sloane Kane, but the referee ordered it to be taken again and this time the home side did score.

City deservedly scored twice in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Captain Lawrie Carter made up for giving away a penalty by scoring the second after the keeper failed to deal with a corner and the ball fell to Carter who scrambled it home from close range. The third soon followed with another sweeping move seeing the excellent Arry Scarborough cross from the right to the unmarked Aarron Collins who finished well from eight yards. City needlessly gave Grantham a lifeline with another penalty, but Ely never looked like conceding again after that and took the three points.

Central Division

Soham 2 Felixstowe and Walton 2

THE young Greens returned to league action with a fighting comeback against a confident Felixstowe side, who were sitting second in the league.

Soham went behind after a Felixstowe attacker beat Soham keeper Scott Howe to the ball from a cross.

The visitors scored against the run of play to make it 2-0.

An inspired subsititution got Soham back into the game. Jonathan Brown was introduced and he was soon running the game, coolly slotting one home from 18 yards to give Soham a lifeline.

Then, 15 minutes from time, he latched onto a Richard Grimster pass to grab a deserved equaliser.