James Clifton’s 67th-minute goal earned Spalding United three more priceless points in their efforts to gain promotion to the National League.
After facing a battle against relegation from the Southern League’s Premier Central Division for much of the campaign, Jimmy Dean’s side are now pushing hard to grab a play-off place at the other end of the table.
Despite a wholesale change of personnel since the arrival of Dean, it was one the club’s longest-serving players who was the match-winner. Clifton signed from Corby in the summer of 2022 and fans feared he was on his way out when he went on loan to Bedford last December. However, he has returned invigorated and has now scored the winner in two matches on the bounce.
The latest came as reward for a battling display against their promotion rivals. Clifton combined well with top scorer Bart Cybulski and picked his spot to slip the ball past home goalkeeper Lewys Benjamin.
Manager Dean is keeping his team on their toes in the run-in to the end of the season though, dipping into the transfer market ahead of the game with the signing of former Rangers junior Jack Roberts from Bishop’s Stortford. The 20-year-old London-born former Braintree, Cheshunt and Erith striker came on for the last eight minutes. He scored a hat-trick earlier in the season for Stortford at Spalding and struck eight times in his 23 appearances for the Hertfordshire team
Assistant manager Chris Plummer was pleased to see the strength of his team’s substitutes after recent injuries and illness.
“We’ve been a bit light on the bench in previous games,” he said, adding that it had been helpful to be able to use options available on the energy-sapping pitch.
“The conditions were difficult and Stourbridge are a good side who are well drilled.
“The first half wasn’t really where we wanted to be but the second half was a big improvement. It was one of those games that could have gone either way so we’re delighted to nick a 1-0 win and get the three points.”
“It was a well-worked goal and great news for James to come up with another winner as well.
“You can’t be at your best or great every week. What we need to do is organise and stay in the game; take the chances when they come. We ground it out and deserved the three points.”
A home win would have seen the hosts leapfrog Spalding and the Tulips face another six-pointer on Saturday when they welcome Harborough Town to the Sir Halley Stewart Field. The teams are joint eighth in the table but Spalding trail on goal difference. Spalding are seven points away from the play-off places, with nine games remaining – all with something hanging on them. Four are against promotion rivals with the rest seeing the Tulips take on all five teams battling to avoid relegation.
Tulips: Chapman, Clifton, Fox, Moore, Cartwright, Lawlor (Nyahwema), Sembie-Ferris (Roberts), Freeman (Sherif), Cybulski, Sano-Sani (Walker), Law. Sub: Johnson.
Attendance: 747.
