Spalding United 1
Basford United 3
Chris Rawlinson admits that his Spalding United side have reached a crossroads in their Evo-Stik NPL First Division South season after Tuesday night’s 3-1 defeat against Basford United.
The Tulips produced some of their best football of the season in the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field clash, but were ultimately outgunned by a Basford side that extended their unbeaten start to the league season to ten games.
The high-fliers flew out of the blocks and took a 2-0 lead thanks to an Ellis Humble OG (3) and Liam Hearn’s hopeful long-range effort (11), but Gary King’s classy lob (13) kept the Tulips in the clash at half-time.
Spalding rallied after the break and took the game to their visitors, but Hearn’s penalty on the hour ended any hopes the hosts had of turning the game on its head.
Tulips chief Rawlinson felt that his side were easy on the eye at times, but now feels he and the players are essentially playing for their respective futures at the club.
“That’s five defeats now,” bemoaned the Spalding supremo. “We can’t afford many more in the next group of eight games.
“I think this is now the crux point in our season. Football-wise – in the season and a half that I’ve been here – that’s the best that I’ve seen us play.
“So we either believe in the 11 that we had out there and move on, or we turn up against Sheffield FC (next game) and lose. If that happens, a few of us probably won’t be here any more.
“I’ll be honest, I had a massive go at them at half-time. You just can’t start games like that.
“Just like against Cleethorpes, we gave ourselves a massive uphill task. At least we stood up to the test and came back. We should really have made it 2-2 in the second half.
“Fair play to Basford, though, they’ve come to Spalding on a Tuesday and won the game.
“We could have done more on all three goals and Neal Spafford was lucky not to be sent off when conceding the penalty – the lad was clean through on goal.
“We’ve now reached the point of the season where we need to decide if we’re going to be a bang average mid-table side, or if we’ve got genuine aspirations of being in the mix for the play-offs.
“I personally feel that, if we play like this and improve in both boxes, we have every chance of achieving that.”
Spalding were boosted by the return of Lee Beeson, re-signed from Corby Town.
But it was Basford who started the game like a house on fire, with home keeper Michael Duggan forced to save from a clean through Courey Grantham inside two minutes.
However, the Tulips were behind moments later when defender Humble diverted a long throw into his own net from close range.
Spalding regrouped and put together a fine attack of their own, with Conor Marshall feeding King, who crossed for Cenk Acar to volley just wide at the back post.
Disaster struck on 11 minutes, though, with Hearn’s hopeful long effort from distance squirming under Duggan and finding the corner.
The Tulips, to their credit didn’t let the goal break them and hit back immediately with top scorer King lobbing home a very composed effort past an exposed Saul Deeney from distance.
It was very nearly 2-2 on the half-hour, but Saul Deeney got down well to deny Paul Walker on the right.
Duggan was forced to keep out Grantham’s low drive in the closing stages of the first half, but the Tulips very much weathered the early storm by the break.
After the interval it was Spalding who asked all of the early questions. Deeney saved from a clean through Jamie Jackson with his legs, before a Beeson volley deflected just wide.
The lively Jackson then blazed over from the resulting corner, before moments later teeing up Jordan Lemon, who fired wide at the back post.
It was the visitors who grabbed the game’s fourth goal from the spot, though. Kieran Wells’ great pass picked up Hearn, who was tripped in the box by Neal Spafford. Hearn picked himself up and slammed home the spot-kick on 62 minutes, giving Duggan no chance.
King almost pulled one back with a half-volley that dropped just over, but the third Basford goal took the wind out of Spalding’s sails.
There were late chances for Marshall, who saw a fierce drive blocked on the line and Humble, whose header went over with Deeney stranded.
But Basford managed to maintain their two-goal advantage – and indeed their unbeaten record – despite King having a late effort ruled out for offside.
Spalding – who are now 11th in the table – are without a game this weekend, meaning their next match is at home to Sheffield FC on Saturday, October 14 (3pm).
Tulips: Duggan, Walker, A Jackson, Marshall, Humble, Spafford (Lockie 84), Lemon, Beeson, King, J Jackson, Acar. Not used: Maslen-Jones, Fixter, Clarke, McGhee.
Attendance: 122.
RESULTS
Evo-Stik NPL
First Division South: Alvechurch 2 Market Drayton Town 1; Bedworth United 2 Leek Town 1; Gresley FC 1 Stamford 2; Loughborough Dynamo 2 Peterborough Sports 1; Newcastle Town 3 Romulus 0; Sheffield FC 3 Lincoln United 2; Spalding United 1 Basford United 3; Stocksbridge PS 4 Chasetown 0.
ChromaSport UCL
Premier Division: Boston Town 1 Peterborough NS 1; Daventry Town 3 Oadby Town 1; Desborough Town 2 Deeping Rangers 0; Kirby Muxloe 0 Harborough Town 2; Leicester Nirvana 3 St Andrews 0; Wellingborough Town 3 Cogenhoe Utd 0; Wellingborough Whitworth 4 Northampton SR 2; Yaxley 2 Wisbech Town 2.
Division One: Bourne Town 0 Harrowby United 1; Lutterworth Town 5 Burton PW 1; Stewarts & Lloyds 0 Blackstones 4; Thrapston Town 0 Rushden & Higham Utd 2.
