Spalding United 1
Carlton Town 2
Disappointed boss Chris Rawlinson admitted that his Spalding United side looked “bang average” as they slumped to a 2-1 home defeat against Carlton Town on Saturday.
A first-half header from Jake Carlisle (32) gave Carlton the advantage in the Evo-Stik NPL First Division South clash, before Daniel Gordan’s low free-kick (56) doubled their money.
The Tulips did rally a little when debutant Ben Davison capped a man-of-the-match showing with a clinical finish on 67 minutes, but they never really looked like finding an equaliser.
Rawlinson rued the unavailability of strikers Jamie Jackson and Gary King after the match, admitting his thin squad can’t cope without key players.
And the Tulips chief reckons that mid-table mediocrity awaits his side if things don’t change.
“We obviously weren’t good enough,” bemoaned Rawlinson. “But neither were they – I don’t think either side did enough to win the game.
“From our point of view, conceding two goals from set-pieces is poor.
“But I think we’re starting to see the way the club is now. When we have injuries, we can’t go out and get anybody – last year we were able to bring in Leon Mettam, for example.
“Now we’re having to go with under-21 players and, unfortunately, the squad isn’t big enough to cope with one or two being out – the likes of Neal Spafford, Gary King and Jamie Jackson, for example.
“That’s nothing against Ben Davison, I thought he came in and did brilliantly.
“But, when we have players out like we did today, we look way off and we’ll be in mid-table.
“That’s not me being defeatist of lacking ambition. But, if this is how we’re going to be in this league, it’s going to be hard.
“We didn’t create enough really. Even in the last 20 minutes when we were on top, we flattered to deceive.
“We’ve now lost three out of the last five. We have to do a hell of a lot better than that.
“I felt we missed the sparkle up front with Jamie and Gary out.
“I hold my hands up as manager, that performance wasn’t good enough. But that’s probably the level of performance the squad was capable of.
“We didn’t do anything particularly awfully, we just didn’t deal with their strengths.
“There are some players here that have played at this level for a long time. They need to stand up and take it on themselves to do better.
“I’m not pleased at all. We’ve only ever won this season when we’ve been ahead and, for me, we’re pretty bang average at the minute.
“Unless we have a Jamie Jackson creating a bit of magic or Gary King scoring out of the blue, we are bang average – there’s no other way around it.
“We have to write this game off and move on. I’ve still got faith in the lads.”
A very low-key start at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field saw few clear-cut chances created in the opening half hour.
Michael Duggan made a routine save from Jordan Wilson’s header, then acrobatically tipped Will Mellors-Blair’s super strike over – although the latter wouldn’t have counted.
Lewis Millington did force a save from Jack Steggles with a tame near-post effort, but the visitors looked the more likely to break the deadlock.
And, after Kaylum Mitchell flashed a header wide from a corner, Carlisle made no mistake from another set-play as he powerfully headed the opener on 32 minutes.
Spalding’s best effort of an otherwise turgid first period arrived when Cenk Acar crossed for debutant Davison – signed from Boston Town – to head towards the corner. Steggles saved well at full stretch, however.
The second half continued in a similar manner, with Carlton creating the better chances. Mellors-Blair was unlucky to see his long-ranger fly just over, before the visitors added their second.
Gordan fired home a low free-kick from just outside the D, which somehow found a way through the wall and left an unsighted Duggan with no chance.
The Tulips hit back on 67 minutes when Davison marked his bow with a fine finish. He controlled the ball well in a crowed box and fired home a low effort into the corner.
Spalding looked like finding a leveller for a brief period, but Carlton almost clinched the points on the break when sub Akauna Mamoke beat a few men and rattled the underside of the bar on the counter.
In the end it didn’t matter, as Carlton held on to inflict a rare home loss on the Tulips – who slip to ninth in the table.
Tulips: Duggan, Fixter (Lockie 69), A Jackson, Marshall (Maddison 76), Humble, Walker, Lemon, Beeson, Davison, Millington (Neil 60), Acar. Not used: Smith.
Attendance: 123
