Spalding Ladies’ 1st 1 St Ives 1
The first half proved challenging as Spalding found themselves 1-0 down after just 16 minutes.
Determined to fight back, Spalding came out strong in the second half.
Freya Lee was on top form, making some cracking saves to keep her side in the game.
Karen Timby’s crucial tackles helped break down St Ives’ play, providing much-needed relief for her teammates.
Jess Ball faced her own battle throughout the entire game but remained cool, calm, and collected, giving Spalding the chance to counter.
That opportunity arrived with Charlotte Maplethorpe, who cleverly snuck behind the defence to score the equaliser, making it 1-1.
Spalding had a few more chances to claim all three points, but despite their efforts, they were unable to convert.
Spalding Ladies’ 2nd 0 Kettering 3
The game started strong, with Erin McMurray winning a short corner just two minutes in.
Grace Hodgett fired off a great shot to back post, but McMurray couldn’t quite get on the end of it.
A quick counter-attack followed, with Kettering being awarded a short corner – however, no goal converted at this time due to Char Burt’s back to back brilliant saves.
Kettering then had a flurry of short corners and managed to convert one, taking the lead at 1-0.
A moment of confusion followed when a Kettering player received a green card, though no one seemed to know why.
Spalding responded with two short corners at the 28-minute mark but unfortunately couldn’t find the back of the net before half time.
The second half saw Kettering strike quickly, doubling their lead to 2-0.
Hodgett took a knock at the top of the D, but play continued, and tensions rose as Lauren Spenceley got caught up in some drama, earning herself a green card.
Kettering pressed on, winning six short corners in sucession and finally converting the last one to seal a 3-0 victory.
Despite the loss, Spalding showed resilience and a number of great goaline clearances.
Spalding Ladies’ 3rd 0 Ely City 2nd 3
From the outset, Ely City displayed their strength, but Spalding remained undeterred, confidently controlling the ball with precise passes.
Sam Foston’s skilful runs around the Ely defence earned Spalding a short corner, but despite Khloe Brewster’s impressive injection, they were unable to convert the opportunity into a goal.
As the first half progressed, Ely continued to hold their ground. Just before the halftime whistle, they were awarded a short corner.
The entire Ely team gathered in the D, and after multiple attempts, they managed to score against Spalding’s goalkeeper, Eliza Morris, who made several remarkable saves despite the sun shining directly in her eyes.
Charlotte Morris delivered an encouraging half time talk that rejuvenated the Spalding team.
The second half saw some excellent passing exchanges, but Ely’s persistence paid off as they penetrated Spalding’s defence twice more.
In the dying moments of the match, Spalding were awarded a short corner. Morris stepped up and took a strong shot, but was unsuccessful.
Spalding Ladies’ 3rd 1
St Ives 3rd 2
Spalding came out strong and demonstrated excellent ball movement, passing wide and around the back. A key moment came when Lucy McClements skilfully slotted the ball into the goal, much to the surprise of St Ives.
Kelly Tizzano made some impressive passes to Jessica Pilgrim on the right, who made fast runs up the field, but Spalding couldn’t capitalise further.
Manager Sally Pilgrim’s encouraging talk motivated Spalding to come out even stronger in the second half. They continued to dominate the game, but St Ives managed to score twice.
In the closing minutes, Spalding made a bold decision to pull goalkeeper Eliza Morris off the field in favour of an additional field player, believing their possession in the attacking half would pay off. Unfortunately, this gamble didn’t lead to a goal, and Spalding suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss.
