Spalding Ladies’ 1st 2 Cambs Uni 3rd 2
Spalding nearly got off to a flier when Ellie Holland stole the ball in the Cambridge half in the first minute, driving in to the D and beating the oncoming keeper only for the ball to be saved by a defender.
The next ten minutes saw both teams competing for dominance in the midfield with the play going back and forth.
Cambridge started to assert their dominance and should have scored in the 13th minute when, having beaten the keeper, the forward’s shot was brilliantly saved on the goal line by Lauren Harvey.
Cambridge kept pressurising Spalding in their own half, however on the 25th minute Honor Moore, having received a through ball, drove from the halfway line into the D, drawing the keeper and slotting home.
Spalding defended the rest of the first half resiliently with Jess Ball disrupting the play in front of the D and Harvey making crucial tackles.
Spalding had a chance to score a second at the start of the second half, when Holland again stole the ball in the Cambridge midfield driving into the D and shooting. The resulting shot was saved by a defender and Holland’s second shot/pass was deflected just wide of the goal by the on-rushing Erin McMurray.
Cambridge, having been let off, immediately attacked breaking down the left wing only to be repelled by great tracking back by Evie Maltby and Harvey.
Sustained pressure from Cambridge would see Freya Lee save a short corner in the 38th minute, however Cambridge would equalise shortly after in open play.
In the 43rd minute Cambridge made the score 2-1 with a through pass to the forward who drove in to the D and slotted home.
Despite being 2-1 down, Spalding showed fighting spirit and could have equalised three minutes later, Cambridge managing to scramble the ball out of their D.
In the 50th minute Cambridge were awarded a short corner, however Spalding defended resolutely and immediately attacked Cambridge with McMurray winning a short corner.
A good injection by Camille Rogers to Maltby resulted in the equalising goal as Maltby killed the ball nicely before striking a thunderbolt in under the goalkeeper’s foot.
Spalding took inspiration and were the dominant team for the rest of the match, but couldn’t find a winner.
Spalding Ladies’ 2nd 1 Cambs South 3rd 5
The game started with Spalding having most of the possession but after ten minutes the home team broke through Spalding’s defence to make it 1-0.
Amy Naylor worked tirelessly in the middle, linking well with Tabby Green and Lauren Spenceley, and just before half time were rewarded with a short corner.Grace Hodgett stepped up for the strike but was unable to convert.
Cambs South mounted a counter-attack and were awarded a corner which they put away to make it 2-0 at half time.
Spalding started well, but despite Freya Lee pulling off some incredible saves and excellent defending from youngsters Holly Gleave and Honor Pearson, Cambs scored again .
Spalding kept the majority of possession in the second half but Cambs increased their lead by converting two more penalty corners.
Spalding never stopped working and six minutes from the end, Vicky Worral attacked down the wing into the D with a reverse shot on goal, the shot was saved by the keeper. The Cambs defender ended up on top of Worral with cramp and the umpire awarded a bully just outside the D. Luckily Worral was one of the few on the pitch old enough to know what a bully was and expertly took and won it.
Her first shot was saved by the keeper but on the rebound she slotted it in to give Spalding their first goal.
Spalding Ladies’ 3rd 1 City of Peterborough 4th 4
The Spalding team had a different line up, utilising the sweeper formation.
Spalding was awarded the first push back and maintained possession initially.
However, Peterborough quickly gained control of the ball and put pressure on the defenders, with Poppy Hooker stopping many attacks.
After ten minutes, Peterborough was awarded a short corner, and their strike on goal resulted in a penalty flick due to a Spalding foot.
Peterborough scored, putting Spalding 1-0 down.
Spalding remained resilient and adhered to their training, maintaining wide passes.
Despite this, Peterborough regained possession and, after a scramble in the D, scored their second goal.
Shortly before half-time, Peterborough converted another short corner, leading 3-0 at half time.
An encouraging half-time talk saw the team return to the field with renewed determination.
Their youthful energy shone through against the more experienced but tiring Peterborough side.
There were some beautiful passes down the right, but Peterborough managed to score once more, taking the score to 4-0.
Spalding kept the pressure on Peterborough and were awarded a short corner.
Khloe Brewster’s injection skills were utilised, and after a shot on goal by Sam Foston that put the goalkeeper on the floor, Spalding took full advantage.
A pass from Jess Worth to a well-positioned Brewster resulted in a goal, 4-1.
This gave Spalding the momentum they needed, and they dominated much of the remaining game, but time was not on their side.
Spalding Men’s 1st 0 Norwich City 5
A 12-man Spalding side travelled to Norwich in what turned out to be a difficult but well fought fixture.
The game started level, with chances coming from both ends.
However, the deadlock was broken following a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
The frustration of conceding caused gaps to form in Spalding’s defence, allowing two more goals in quick succession.
A goal line save from Haunch saw the ball fly into the face of Grant despite winning the free hit seconds before. With Grant regaining consciousness, Spalding conceded a fourth.
A propelling team talk saw Spalding come out with their heads held high. Their high energy was so nearly capitalised on, as Cunnington’s neat finish was disallowed.
Both teams continued to create chances and absorb pressure, with Baker’s brilliant opportunity going out for a side line ball.
As Spalding’s lack of subs caused energy levels to drop, a rebounded shot found the back of the net for final time, finishing the game 5-0.
Spalding Men’s 2nd 0
Cambridge University 3rd 2
Cambridge began the game with most of the possession and chances but Spalding dug in deep, keeping their shape and man marking, which limited Cambridge’s chances on goal.
They finally broke the deadlock with a well worked short corner routine to deflect a shot into the roof of the net.
Spalding continued to defend well with some smart saves from Rob Callaby to keep it 1-0 at half time.
Spalding started the pushback for the second half which continued with Cambridge keeping a large amount of possession but Spalding have a small number of counter attack opportunities with Lawrence Smith-Hughes and Tim Maltby running in behind the Cambridge defensive line.
Cambridge did double their lead but Spalding worked tirelessly to defend and keep it 2-0 at full time.
Spalding Men’s 3rd 4 St Neots 2
After a six-week break the early stages were always going to be about cohesion and Spalding found their stride with some simple progressive passing and took the lead when Ben Scholes found Lucas Baker at the far post to slot home.
Soon after it was 2-0 as Pete Wright slipped a short corner to Scholes who made no mistake.
Wright then found Danny Wright in space in the D and he slotted under the keeper and it was 3-0.
In the second half Spalding couldn’t reproduce the first half form and Kettering were in the ascendancy and reduced the arrears with a goal.
Spalding weathered the storm and started to get back into their stride, and from a short corner Pete Wright struck home to restore some calm.
Whilst Kettering added a consolation late on Spalding saw the game out with some controlled possession.
Spalding Men’s 4th 4 Newmarket Men’s 3rd 1
The match began with Spalding taking control early.
They were rewarded when Dylan Hind opened the scoring with a composed finish. Andy Barlow extended Spalding’s lead, and Dave Burrell made it 3-0 at half time.
In the second half, Newmarket came out strong and managed to pull one back, to make it 3-1. However, Spalding responded well, and Burrell sealed the win with his second goal to make it 4-1.
Jack Dorsett played a key role in the attack, making several excellent runs, creating space and opportunities for his teammates.
Defensively, Marco Mendoza was outstanding, earning man of the match for his strong defensive work. Alongside him, Lorenzo Mendoza played a key role, distributing the ball with beautiful sweeping passes from the back.
In goal, James Booth made a brilliant acrobatic save, keeping Spalding ahead and denying Newmarket any further chances.
Pictures from the men 2nd’s game by Nigel Cookson.
