Spalding Ladies 1s 3
Long Sutton 1s 0
Patience, determination and plenty of grit earned Spalding an East Women’s League Division Three North West victory local rivals Long Sutton.
Solid defending by Sutton kept Spalding at bay in a goalless first half.
The breakthrough came in the 51st minute when a well-worked short corner saw Cally Priestley fire home a fantastic goal.
Laura Graves failed to convert a penalty stroke but made amends soon after to make it 2-0 from another one.
Long Sutton refused to give up, keeping the pressure on and forcing Spalding’s midfielders and defenders to work tirelessly to track back, break down attacks and protect their lead.
The scoring was completed from a short corner when Graves struck again, finding the back of the net from a rebound.
Newmarket 2s 0
Spalding Ladies 2s 5
Some excellent teamwork secured a convincing Division 4NW win for the seconds.
Eloise Hull struck after only seven minutes and Chloe Preston doubled the lead in the 34th minute.
Vicky Worrall made it 3–0 in the 39th minute after a lovely pass from Jess Worth.
Kelly Tizzano added a fourth in the 49th minute, with Sam Foston rounding off the scoring in the 61st minute.
Leanne Isaac-Pick was instrumental in midfield, earning the player of the match award.
Cambridge University 2s 2
Spalding Men 1s 1
Spalding held their own in an end-to-end East Men’s League Division One North encounter but were unable to overcome conceding the opening goal from a short corner routine.
Another short corner made it 2-0 but Spalding refused to throw in the towel and kept fighting, led by a man-of-the-match display from Matt Peach.
As the game heated up, tempers flared but Spalding continued to press and were rewarded with a well-dispatched short corner routine that saw Stuart Cunnington rattle the ball into the bottom corner of the goal but a second was not forthcoming.
City of Peterborough 5s 3
Spalding Men 2s 3
Glenn Richardson scored three times to earn Spalding Seconds a point in Division 3NW.
Richardson slotted home the opener but profligacy in front of goal stopped Spalding adding more in the early exchanges.
Peterborough equalised from a short corner on the stroke of half-time but the visitors reclaimed the lead after the break when Richardson went through on goal and slotted home calmly.
The hosts equalised with 10 minutes to go only for Richardson to immediately burst through the back line to win a penalty stroke, which he duly converted.
However, Peterborough completed the scoring with a third equaliser five minutes from time to leave Spalding still searching for their first win.
Spalding Men 3s 1
Kettering 3s 0
Spalding secured a hard-fought victory in Division 4NW, with a first-half field goal from Cheston Palmer proving to be the difference.
Kettering made a strong start and applied relentless pressure in the home side’s half, however, the defence remained organised and resilient, denying any major breakthroughs.
Spalding began to find their rhythm, exploiting spaces in Kettering’s defence and taking greater control of the game through simple, effective passing and composed possession.
Improvement continued when Palmer found the back of the net with a well-taken goal.
That shifted the momentum firmly in Spalding’s favour, with the home side continuing to apply pressure, winning several short corners and creating further opportunities but were unable to convert them.
Kettering pushed higher up the pitch and launched a series of relentless attacks but the home side stood firm.
Kettering won a short corner in the closing moments but, with the pressure at its highest, man of the match Martin Perkins came up big, clearing the ball to preserve the clean sheet and secure all three points.
Spalding Men 4s 3
Cambridge Nomads 3s 1
Spalding enjoyed a successful afternoon at home, securing a deserved Division 5NW victory.
Andy Barlow, Alex Myland and Matt Pottle got on the scoresheet to seal an excellent result.
Spalding showed real progress, with excellent marking, positioning and movement throughout the game. The team worked hard across the pitch, creating attacking opportunities, while remaining organised defensively.
Alex Myland was man of the match after his hard work in training paid off, with outstanding positioning and intelligent movement along the wings causing problems for the opposition throughout the game. Lewis White made his first appearance in senior hockey and put in a strong showing, while Ethan Loasby showed tireless work rate throughout the game.
