Ely City 2s 1 SHC Ladies’ 2s
Goal: Lily Hooker
Spalding 2s were back in league action, taking on Ely 2s in what proved to be a competitive and closely fought game.
From the first whistle, both teams battled hard, with Spalding working to create opportunities and put pressure on the Ely defence. Despite plenty of effort from both sides, neither could find the breakthrough in the first half.
Spalding came out fighting in the second half and finally got their reward in the 42nd minute. Vicky Worrall found herself with a great opportunity, but her shot was stopped by a foot on the line. This gave Spalding a penalty stroke, and Lily Hooker stepped up to take it. Hooker kept her composure and confidently put the ball away to give Spalding the lead.
Ely responded almost immediately, finding the equaliser just one minute later to make it 1-1.
With the score level, the game became a real battle as both teams pushed to find the winning goal. Spalding continued to work hard right through to the final whistle, showing plenty of determination and fighting for every ball.
Spalding Men’s 1s 2 Cambridge HC 1s 3
Goals: Jacob Baker, James Grant
Following promotion last season, Spalding Men’s 1st XI began life in their new league by welcoming Cambridge HC 1st XI, who finished in the top three last year.
Spalding quickly took control of proceedings, restricting Cambridge’s opportunities to make any meaningful progress up the pitch.
The hosts’ early pressure was soon rewarded. A well-timed turnover at the back allowed Tom Pilgrim to drive Spalding forward before finding Jacob Baker in space. Baker kept his composure, rounded the goalkeeper and calmly slotted the ball home to give Spalding a 1-0 lead.
Spalding thought they had doubled their lead when an overturn at the top of the D was won and Tom Amess expertly finished. However, the umpires brought play back for an adjudged foul.
Spalding continued to dominate and kept Cambridge pinned deep inside their own half. Their pressure eventually told again when an excellent overhead from Joe Rogers picked out James Grant. Grant drove beyond the Cambridge defence before catching the goalkeeper out at the near post to double Spalding’s advantage.
However, the final ten minutes of the first half saw the game become more unsettled. Cambridge took advantage of a rare spell of pressure and, after Spalding appeals for a back-stick were waved away, worked the ball across goal to reduce the deficit.
A mistake from Spalding then handed the visitors a penalty corner shortly before half-time, which Cambridge converted to send the sides into the break level despite Spalding having been the better side for much of the half.
The second half continued in a tense and physical fashion, but Spalding remained on top for large periods and continued to look the more dangerous of the two sides.
Despite that, Cambridge were awarded another penalty corner and converted to move 3-2 ahead.
Spalding continued to push forward in search of a deserved equaliser and remained the stronger side through to the final whistle, but were unable to turn their pressure into another goal.
The final scoreline was a frustrating one for Spalding, who will feel they deserved more from a game in which they produced the better overall performance but were ultimately punished by Cambridge’s efficiency from penalty corners.
Cambridge City 4s 2 Spalding Men’s 2s 0
In an incredibly close fought game Spalding came out on the wrong side of a 2-0 scoreline.
A tight first half finished goal-less, where Spalding had been the better side but failed to capitalise on their opportunities from short corners or a couple of one-on-one efforts.
As the second half started, Spalding couldn’t recreate the same fluency and though they felt they certainly should have earned a draw, two hotly contested goals earned the home side the win.
The first saw a ball smashed in overhead by the striker, incredibly close to Spalding defender Liam Fravigar’s face, following Rob Callaby’s short corner save. The second, two minutes from time, saw a penalty stroke awarded for a surprising foul; whilst the initial effort was pulled wide, a re-take was awarded and subsequently put away.
Overall, a disappointing result but positive signs of the side moving in the right direction.
Cambridge Nomads 2s 9 SHC Men’s 3s 0
The 3rd XI suffered a 9-0 defeat to Cambridge Nomads 2 in a challenging game made harder by a very bouncy pitch. The unpredictable bounce made some passes difficult to control, while some debatable decisions added to the frustration.
At the back, Sam Hicks and Martin Perkins put in strong defensive performances, making important challenges and slowing down Cambridge’s attackers. Ethan Worral was also important, making several key clearances.
In midfield, Dylan Hind created space to help spread the pitch and open up passing options. Brian Read also helped stretch the pitch, while Tim Amess showed good control and looked to play the ball out towards Rafael Read and Fred Neal.
Rafael Read showed great work rate, constantly running up and down the wings, while Neal showed plenty of tenacity and determination when winning possession back.
Cheston Palmer made excellent leads and got into some dangerous positions and coming close to scoring. Tim Maltby worked well with Palmer to create opportunities, while Lorenzo Mendoza made strong overlapping runs to help move the ball forward.
Tiago Read was a last-minute addition and made a good impact, helping the team hold Cambridge off and putting pressure on their attackers.
In goal, Samuel Willerton stepped up before the game and made several vital saves despite the scoreline, earning himself man of the match.
Despite the 9-0 scoreline, the second half was much better, with everyone playing more effectively as a team and showing greater organisation, determination and teamwork.
Spalding Men’s 4s 4 Kettering 4s 7
Goals: Andy Barlow, Will Clark, Matt Pottle, Si Maruthi
Spalding entertained Kettering for their first game of the season. It proved to be an 11-goal thriller in an end-to-end encounter that ultimately saw Spalding end up on the losing side.
The home team opened the scoring when Andy Barlow fired home following a good save from the Kettering goalkeeper that saw the ball fall kindly.
Kettering then scored two quick goals that emergency goalkeeper James Morris had no chance with.
Things got even harder for the hosts as Kettering then scored a third.
However, the spirit of the home side saw them halve the deficit when Will Clark finished well.
It was a fast flowing, end to end game, but Spalding were guilty of missing good chances and they were punished when Kettering scored their fourth.
But from a short corner, Si Maruthi finished from close range on his league debut after the ball fell loose and Spalding were back into the game as half-time approached.
The half-time talk was simple, no mistakes and keep going. And Spalding did that and equalised through a Matt Pottle short corner and the game was for the taking.
But as time progressed, Spalding grew tired and Kettering retook the lead through a penalty stroke.
The killer blow came barely five minutes later as Spalding pushed forward for another equaliser, and it was harsh on the home side when Kettering scored their final goal with seconds remaining.
It was an excellent performance from an unfamiliar side from last season having far more juniors than their visitors and that experience did make a difference. But the spirit of the side was unbelievable and there was great hockey played during the game. In a normal game, four goals should get a win. Spalding struggled with goals last season so already there is an improvement. The fourth team travel to City of Peterborough for their first away game next week.
