A 2-2 draw in their penultimate Southern League Premier Central match at Leiston left Spalding United manager Jimmy Dean satisfied, despite conceding two stoppage-time goals.
The Tulips had already confirmed second place in the table and home advantage in the play-offs so there was little at stake for the visitors.
However, Dean was keen to see his team put in an improved performance after the previous week’s 3-1 defeat at home to Stratford Town and said: “For me, the message was the result doesn’t matter. Of course we wanted to win and we should have won, but we wanted to see an improvement in performance.
“I think over the two halves we’ve seen that. The performance levels are what we were after.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t win and disappointed they got two goals off two chances.
“But we had some big players putting in some good performances that they haven’t done for a while. For us, that’s a good sign.”
Bart Cybulski and Yusifu Ceesay were both denied by the home defence in the opening five minutes and Ceesay was thwarted again by home goalkeeper Will Johnson just before half-time.
However, it was the Suffolk side who took the lead a minute after the end of the 45 when Jude Frostick headed home Joao Rangel’s cross.
Jack Roberts’ well-struck effort from inside the penalty area made it 1-1 ten minutes after the break and when Mane Sani, headed in from close range in the 82nd minute, it looked as if all the points were heading back to Lincolnshire. It was not to be though, with Albie Armin equalising in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Dean said: “They had one chance in each half and they put them both away. We had a multitude of chances but we weren’t clinical.
“It was never going to be a classic. The pitch was difficult to play on for both sides but I think the energy was there.
“The application was there and I thought we played well in moments when we could.”
Dean takes his team to Worcester City on Saturday for their final regular season match before facing the unknown in the play-off semi-final at the Sir Halley Stewart Field on Wednesday, 7.45pm.
Who their opponents are will depend on Saturday’s results, with four teams still in the hunt. The Tulips will face whoever finishes fifth, while Real Bedford will play host to the fourth-placed team. The other teams still in the mix are Needham Market, Kettering, Halesowen and Redditch.
The two semi-final winners will meet at the home of the highest-placed team on Bank Holiday Monday, May 4, for the chance to join champions Harborough Town in National League North next season.
“There’s a couple of big teams floating around that last play-off spot,” said Dean. “I don’t care who we play. If we get it right I wouldn’t want to play us.”
Tulips: Wilks, Fox, Taroni (Sembie-Ferris), Moore, Johnson, Thompson, Roberts, Bendle (Sani), Cybulski (Akinba), Pugh, Ceesay (Fowkes). Sub (not used): McKimmon.
Attendance: 533.
Photos by Keira Thurston.
