Jimmy Dean has 13 games left to get his team’s promotion recipe right after his Spalding United team went off the boil again.
A 2-2 draw at home to Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday left the door open for Harborough Town to leapfrog them at the top of the Southern League Premier Central Division.
However, Tuesday’s scheduled meeting between Harborough and third-placed Real Bedford was postponed, leaving the Tulips a point clear, albeit from three games more.
The draw followed a 2-1 defeat at home to Banbury United a week earlier and Dean said: “We had the chances and probably should have been a little bit better, conceding the two goals.
“That’s not a good recipe, is it? It’s not for winning games in football; missing chances and conceding.”
Despite hitting back from two goals down to draw, Dean said it felt like a defeat, rather than a point gained.
“If you were neutral, you’d probably look at us as having the bulk of the possession and being the better side and having the chances.
“Ultimately, it’s our own downfall to a certain extent. I can’t remember more than three shots they had in the game. We overplayed too much. That was frustrating because if we play the game we should be playing, we win.”
Stortford opened the scoring after 24 minutes when a shot was half-cleared and fell for Charlie Boatwright-Collier to slam home from near the penalty spot.
Five minutes before half-time the visitors doubled their lead when a free-kick from near the halfway line found centre back Jake Thompson and he flicked a header into the net from close range.
Dean said both had been poorly conceded.
“For the first one we just had to win the header. We didn’t and there was a bit of a pinball and it fell for them.
“The second one, was a disgrace if I’m honest. It’s just a straight ball. It landed about the penalty spot. He headed it into a goal unopposed. The keeper was in no man’s land.
“Even around that, we had four or five excellent chances that we haven’t taken. We were much the better side in the first half, even though we were 2-0 down.”
However, the second half saw the Tulips hit back to rescue a point and Dean admitted they had done well.
“The boys picked themselves up and showed a lot of endeavour and commitment to try to win it.”
Just after the hour-mark Jack Roberts whipped in a corner and Connor Johnson stooped to head in at the near post.
The equaliser came after 74 minutes when Roberts and Mane Sani combined to set up Dan Lawlor for a crisp strike from outside the area.
“We’ve got to get back to winning games,” said Dean. “The league is very competitive and there’s not much room for error.
“It’s an unforgiving league if you drop points, but the only thing we can worry about is our controllables.
“We’ve got 13 games left and we’ve got to try and win as many as we can. That’s all we can control. We’ve got to be better in both boxes.”
Tulips: Wilks, Sembie-Ferris, Olopade, Moore, Johnson, Thompson (Lawlor), Roberts, McCammon, Cybulski (Clifton), Sani, Ceesay. Subs: White, Fryatt, Bendle.
Attendance: 584.
Pictures by Adrian Smith.
* The next generation of Spalding United footballers are being offered the chance to join the club’s elite academy.
Trials will take place at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field on Friday, February 20, 3-5pm.
As well as a pathway to the first-team and university, the academy offers weekly competitive matches and is run by first-team management and players at state-of-the-art training facilities. Training kit and a club tracksuit are provided, as well as a first-team season ticket, first-team work experience, coaching, pre and post-match analysis and support from a professional medical team.
The course, run by UEFA-qualified coaches, words towards a Level Three NCFE, diploma in sport and physical activity.
To secure a place, book online at http://spaldingunitedeliteacademy.co.uk
