Spalding Ladies’ 1s 5
St Ives 3
Spalding Ladies’ 1s continued their strong form, with a well deserved 5-3 win.
After just two minutes, Spalding won a short corner, with Evie Maltby smashing the ball through the keeper’s legs into the goal.
A few moments later, Charlotte Maplethorpe received a slick pass from Laura Graves, with Maplethorpe slotting it into the back of the net.
Hennie Boekestyn then received a green card, putting Spalding to ten.
St Ives went on to score, however Spalding came back strong with Honor Moore scoring from a rebound in a short corner, leaving the score 3-1 at half time.
Minutes into the second half, St Ives converted a goal, but this did not deter Spalding.
Moore scored her second goal in a short corner, chipping it past the keeper.
Moments after, Sophie Wilson scored in another short corner, pushing it through the opposition’s defence.
As the final whistle blew, St Ives were awarded a final short corner, which they converted. .
Spalding Ladies’ 2s’2
Kettering 2
Spalding Ladies’ 2s headed into a game against Kettering determined to gain a point.
Kettering started off strong, however once Spalding settled they managed to gain a well worked short corner.
This was slotted into the goal with an astounding hit by Lynn Sullivan.
Determination from Sam Maltby and Lauren Harvey kept Spalding going for the first half.
Many chances came but the first half ended 2-1 to Kettering.
With an inspiring half time talk, Spalding headed back out hoping for at least a draw.
Domination of possession and brilliant control and passing allowed Spalding to create many more chances in the second half, leading to another short corner, calmly converted by Sullivan.
Camille Rogers held her cool and stayed strong playing in multiple positions to keep Spalding in the game.
Many more chances came, however Spalding ended the game with a 2-2 draw.
Spalding Ladies’ 3s 4
Ely City 2s 1
Spalding Ladies’ 3s started the match against Ely City with an impressive display of skill and teamwork.
Spalding managed to put pressure on the Ely defence and within minutes Kelly Tizzano seized the opportunity to chip the ball over the keeper scoring the first goal.
Spalding continued to dominate the game with their precise passing which then led to Jess Pilgrim receiving the ball in the attacking D, and slotting a goal in from the left.
Ely tried to put pressure on the Spalding defensive line but were unable to penetrate it leaving the Spalding goalie with a quiet half.
Just before the whistle, Sam Fosten slipped the ball through the keeper’s legs taking the score to 3-0.
The second half saw Ely coming back strong, causing the Spalding defence to have to work harder, but Honor Pearson was no match, making many a defensive tackle and pass up to Emily Wright on the wing.
Ely were not deterred by this and maintained the pressure, slotting in a goal, making it 3-1.
Wingers Emily Wright and Eloise Doughty drove the ball to the forwards to result in a textbook goal, making the score 4-1.
Spalding demonstrated their training and confidence, however this was a game of two halves and Ely City continued to put pressure on Spalding defence.
Spalding 1s 3
Long Sutton 1s 4
Spalding faced off against local derby rivals Long Sutton.
The first half began strongly, with Spalding holding up possession well, though occasionally losing the ball to Long Sutton, who countered with direct, route-one play.
Spalding drew first blood from a penalty corner, converted by Stuart Cunnington. However, they were soon caught off guard, and the score was levelled following some individual skill from the opposition.
Eager to regain the lead, Spalding poured players forward, creating opportunities in the box.
From a well-timed routine outside the 25, a ball was guided into the path of Steve Rodgers, who delicately nestled it into the top corner of the net. However, the goal was soon chalked off, as the whistle had mistakenly blown with the ball thought to be inside the 25.
Frustrated by the error, Spalding’s morale dipped, and they were again caught out by an aerial pass from Sutton, which was placed into the Spalding net with more individual skill.
The second half began with Spalding trailing, though some well-chosen words during the interval reignited their focus.
They started strong, controlling much of the possession and eventually earning a penalty corner.
Spalding capitalized on a well-rehearsed routine, with Dan Azzopardi deflecting the ball into the back of the net.
Sutton responded by pressing Spalding, forcing the home side into a defensive shape.
Despite some outstanding saves by Oscar Haunch, a lapse in play allowed Sutton to score once again.
Tensions rose, and Spalding was reduced to ten men, following a contentious ten-minute yellow card on a first offence.
Undeterred, Spalding pushed forward and were rewarded as Rodgers finally found the net, pouncing on a loose ball in the five-yard box.
The game was on a knife’s edge, with both teams trading end-to-end chances.
Fatigue began to set in for Spalding, and they were again caught out by individual skill from Sutton, leading to a penalty flick, which was successfully converted.
With adrenaline running high, Spalding threw everything at the visitors in the closing moments, creating some very close chances that were ultimately thwarted.
Spalding 2s 1
Long Sutton 2s 1
Derby day as Spalding 2s made the trip to Long Sutton.
Spalding started strong, winning the ball multiple times and penning Sutton in for the first ten minutes before Sutton brought themselves into the game claiming multiple free hits around the D.
Spalding managed to hold this out and ended the half 0-0 with Tim Maltby getting a ten-minute yellow for back chat to the umpire.
Spalding came back fighting in the second half and did a good job of keeping Sutton in their half with a few counters, however no outcome.
With 20 minutes to go Tom Pilgrim picked up the ball at the top of the D and drove past players towards the baseline and slots the ball to Maltby who spun and placed the ball between the goalkeeper’s feet.
In a quick response Sutton were dubiously awarded a short corner.
From this they played a slip at the top of the D and slotted it into the near post to bring things to a level 1-1.
With both teams looking for a winner there were clashes between players, highlighting what this type of match means to both teams, but neither team was able to beat the keepers before the final whistle blew.
Spalding 3s 2
Cambridge 5
Spalding defended well for the first half with great performances from defenders Simon and George Goode but before half time there was a goal which was scored from outside the D.
In the second half Cambridge scored from a goal on the counter from a short which was finished from a tight angle.
It was then 2-1 when Reuben Rogers scored, rounding the keeper and scoring from a tight angle.
It was then 3-1 through a nice finish and 4-1 from a short.
Then it was 5-1 from a scrappy goal from a short which was saved then tapped in.
Danny Wright then could of scored with a block off the line and a good save from a one-on-one.
Rogers then scored another good goal from a short which rebounded back to him.
Spalding 4s 1
Bourne Deeping Men’s 3s 6
Spalding Men’s 4s faced a challenging away match against Bourne Deeping Men’s 3s, the unbeaten league leaders.
Despite the 6-1 defeat, Spalding showcased resilience throughout the game.
Bourne Deeping took control early, exploiting defensive lapses to score multiple goals in the first half.
Goalkeeper James Booth was a standout performer, making several superb saves to keep the scoreline manageable.
Defensively, Lorenzo Mendoza and Alex Myland made key contributions, with Mendoza’s timely interventions and Myland’s impressive tackling helping to stabilize the backline.
In midfield, Rafa Reed linked defence and attack effectively, driving forward and creating opportunities.
Jack Dorsett scored Spalding’s only goal, providing a moment of celebration amidst the challenging match.
Spalding will take valuable lessons from this encounter as they aim to build on individual performances and improve their cohesion in upcoming matches.
