Spalding United 2
Mickleover Sports 2
They may have squandered a two-goal lead, but Spalding United’s promotion dream is very much alive after a thrilling draw against Evo-Stik League First Division South leaders Mickleover on Tuesday night.
The Tulips looked to be heading to a memorable Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field victory when Avelino Vieira (13) and Tom Waumsley (19) fired them into a 2-0 half-time lead.
Two stunning Michael Duggan saves helped keep Spalding in the box seat until Gary Ricketts struck a dramatic double (73 and 81) to secure a share of the spoils for the table-toppers.
The point leaves the Tulips in sixth place, just outside the play-off places on goals scored ahead of Saturday’s trip to Market Drayton Town (3pm).
Despite seeing a two-goal lead slip through their fingers, Spalding boss Pat Rayment was very happy with his side – and reckons they can now go on and win all seven of their remaining fixtures.
He said: “It was a good game of football and both teams had a lot of chances.
“Although we had six players out, I’d say it’s the brightest we’ve been all season – even in the warm-up I could notice something different.
“We scored two good goals and hit the post before that, but Michael Duggan made two outstanding saves.
“Make no bones about it, Mickleover are top of the league for a reason. They’re a good team – but I thought we had too much for them in the first half and really got at them.
“The turning point was at 2-0, when their keeper pulled off a hell of a save to deny Tom Waumsley.
“I have to say that their two goals, from our point of view, were so poor. If we’d have had Nathan Stainfield playing, we would have got three points. I had to walk away from the dugout again as the officials wound me up once again. They’re on a different planet. I’m going to have to stop being on the touchline anymore.
“From where I was standing, I couldn’t see them getting back into the game at 2-0. But with the personnel we had missing, against a top team, it’s not a bad point.
“We’ve gone off the boil in recent weeks, but there was a click in tempo. Was a draw a fair result? I’m going to be biased and say no, we just about deserved it.
“We’ve got to build on this now. We’ve not been working hard enough in recent weeks. But if we show this kind of application in our final seven games, I have no hesitation in predicting that we’ll win all of them. Let’s try and get into the play-offs – and then anything can happen from there.”
Spalding – who handed a home debut to new signing Dan Banister (St Ives Town) at right back – started much the better of the two sides and almost went ahead early on when Waumsley rattled an effort off the outside of the near post.
They did, however, break the deadlock on 13 minutes when Vieira drilled a low effort into the bottom right corner from just outside the box.
It should really have been 1-1 five minutes later, but Duggan pulled off a remarkable one-handed stop to keep out a header. It proved key, as less than 60 seconds later Waumsley got in behind the Mickleover defence and prodded a clever finish into the corner to make it 2-0.
That man Duggan then got down low to expertly push away Karl Demidh’s angled drive from the left, while the keeper also clawed out a well-directed Ricketts header.
Waumsley saw a half-volley beaten away at the other end, but the impressive Duggan was called into action once more before half-time as he got down to keep out Andy Dales’ low drive.
It was the turn of Mickleover keeper Ross Atkins to shine after the interval, as he somehow diverted a stunning Waumsley volley around the far post just before the hour.
The Tulips then had two more opportunities to make the game safe. First, Vieira saw a close-range effort deflected over, before Jack McGovern’s towering header was cleared off the line from the resulting corner.
Had one of those chances gone in, Rayment’s men would surely have bagged all three points. However, the game changed radically 17 minutes from time when Ricketts diverted a hopeful long ball into the box past a helpless Duggan.
That gave the visitors a real spring in their step – and that man Ricketts was on hand to bury a leveller on 81 minutes after Spalding failed to clear a corner.
Jamie Stevens, who was as solid as ever at the back, did force a save from Atkins with a header from Lee Beeson’s corner, but both sides seemed happy enough when the final whistle arrived moments later.
Nathan Stainfield should return at Market Drayton on Saturday after seeing the same specialist Andrew Tidswell saw last year. He’s suffering with inflammation around the knee.
Mitch Griffiths, Jamie Thurlbourne, Matt Nolan and Nathan Adams all return too.
Rayment admits that the five will offer him a “selection headache”.
Tulips: Duggan, Banister, Jackson, Stevens, Leary, Webb, Beeson, Hall, Waumsley, Vieira (G Stainfield 79), McGovern. Not used: Pycock, Hussey, McKue.
Attendance: 160
Sponsors’ MOTM: Webb
RESULTS
Evo-Stik League
First Division South: Sheffield FC 1 Leek Town 2; Spalding United 2 Mickleover Sports 2.
ChromaSport UCL
Premier Division: AFC Kempston Rovers 1 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2; Cogenhoe United 0 Northampton SR 2; Harborough Town 2 Long Buckby 1; Newport Pagnell Town 3 Huntingdon Town 1; Peterborough Northern Star 0 Deeping Rangers 0; Wellingborough Town 1 Oadby Town 2.
