Spalding Ladies’ 1st 0 Wisbech Town 1st 6
The first half saw Spalding play some fast-paced, end-to-end hockey, with lots of turnovers and counter attacks from both sides.
Runs down the line from Harriet Mowbray and Ellie Holland gave Spalding opportunities in the D, but the team could not use this to their advantage.
Gaps in marking allowed Wisbech to pass through the Spalding team, which led to their first goal.
Shortly after, Wisbech capitalised further from a short corner.
Half time came with Spalding losing 3-0 and the score line did not improve in the second half.
Hard work at the back from Spalding’s defence could not deter the Wisbech side, who scored a further three in the second half.
Spalding Ladies’ 2nd 4
St Ives 2st 1
Goals: Karen Timby (2), Maisie Foden (2)
With Captain Zoë Moore away, Kate Amess and Erin McMurray playing for the 1st team and the new formation still in its infancy it was always going to be a tough ask.
However, it only took five minutes for Spalding to get on the score sheet with a top of the D strike from Timby.
Again at 18 minutes, Spalding saw a pinpoint accurate pass from Roz Dennis find the outstretched stick of Timby on the near post to turn and slot in another one.
St Ives heads never went down, and they worked the ball nicely through their midfield, but the solid defensive work of the back line kept the ball out of the net and a superb penalty stroke save from ever-improving keeper Freya Lee kept the visitors’ score at zero.
The latter stages of the first half saw Spalding work the ball out of defence nicely and Foden ran through the defence to get on the score sheet and put the home team 3-0 up at the break.
A much closer contested second half from St Ives saw Spalding on the back foot and some slick movement from their players saw them get one back early on.
It was very even for the entire 35 minutes but Spalding held strong and played tirelessly as a unit.
They eventually found a short corner awarded to them from which they added another goal with Foden picking up the loose ball from the first save and slot it bottom corner for her second goal of the day.
Spalding Ladies’ 3rd 2
Ely City 2nd 0
Goals: Vicky Worrall, Sam Foston
Spalding 3rd travelled away to play St Neots 3rd confident on the back of a strong performance the week before.
Foston immediately made her presence known and dribbled round several players to get to the edge of the D, but the St Neots defence stood strong.
Charlotte Morris had an outstanding game playing out of position at centre back, she let nothing through and started distributing the ball wide to Sophie Wilson and Emily Wright, who used her speed down the wing on several occasions, supported by Vicky Worrall, Camille Rogers and Sharon Amess.
The pressure paid off and after a scramble in front of goal, Worrall slipped the ball past the keeper to make it 1-0 going into half-time.
Spalding knew their combination of youth, experience and fitness would serve them well for the second half and St Neots began to tire.
Spalding were awarded several short corners but weren’t able to convert, using the width again the ball came through to Foston who picked it up on the base line to score what looked like an impossible goal.
Saffron Walden 1
Spalding Men’s 1st 0
Spalding rocked by two late withdrawals within the squad went to Saffron Walden in high spirits and opened the game well and controlled the start without testing the keeper.
Saffron Walden grew into the game and a game of pinball in the Spalding D saw the Walden striker hammer it home from close range.
Spalding did not let this affect them and responded well.
The ever-green Steve Rogers went full blooded into a tackle, and despite winning the ball, was deemed to take a lot more of the player and received a 10-minute yellow.
Spalding saw this out untroubled and went into the break 1-0 down.
Spalding dominated the second half but never found the elusive goal.
Spalding lost Tom Mayhew midway through the second half from a robust opposition challenge.
Spalding continued to work and press the opposition and Joe Rogers had a goal chalked off from a penalty corner that was too high, and Jacob Drew was inches away from levelling the game with five minutes to go from a sustained attack.
A last-minute penalty corner deflection routine went just wide of the post as Spalding left with a defeat.
Spalding Men’s 2nd 0
Bourne Deeping 2nd 1
An even first half saw both teams create a few chances, but the majority of the game was played in midfield and with Bourne Deeping looking dangerous on the break, Spalding needed to remain focused.
The half time whistle came with the score line 0-0.
Spalding tried to up the tempo of their play but were stifled by a dogged display from the visitors, who mid-way through the half took the lead converting a penalty stroke.
City of Peterborough 6th 0
Spalding Men’s 3rd 5
Goal: Tom Pilgrim (2), Charlie Smith, Paul Pearson, Ben Scholes
Spalding started on the positively with immediate pressure resulting in a penalty corner which eventually got scrambled across the line by Smith.
Twenty minutes in, Spalding started to control the possession waiting for the right opportunity with some good passing around the midfield creating opportunities for Pilgrim and Scholes to score two goals in quick succession to make it 3-0.
Pilgrim scored his second and Spalding’s fourth on the stroke of half time.
The second half started with Spalding continuing to have most of the possession but ultimately couldn’t produce any more goals despite having the majority of the chances.
With 15 minutes left to play, Spalding won a penalty corner which Pearson converted with a straight shot into the bottom right corner.
Peterborough mounted a late comeback but with some crucial defending Spalding kept the clean sheet.
Wisbech 4th 1
Spalding Men’s 4th 1
Goals: Brendan Atkin
The 4th took on their near neighbours Wisbech 4th and in a keenly contested, but good-natured game, shared the spoils with a well-deserved draw.
Wisbech dominated the play for most of the game as it was another game where they had no U16s whilst Spalding had ten U16 players.
However, the side held their own against more experienced players.
Wisbech went in at the break a goal up as Spalding switched off at the wrong time allowing a player time to break free and pass the ball perfectly for a tap in.
Spalding soon got on level terms following a short corner save on Ed Sly’s strike, Atkin smashed the ball into the right-hand corner.
Spalding had some luck with Wisbech shots flying just past the post and goalkeeper Steve Thurlbourne making a series of fine saves. Spalding could have won it in the last second, but they couldn’t convert a short corner and the game finished on level terms.
