Evo-Stik League East Division
Spalding United 1 Ossett United 2
Despite taking an early lead, relegation threatened Spalding United were unable to get anything from a home game against play-off chasing Ossett United.
Thankfully for the Tulips, the bottom two, Gresley and Carlton Town also lost.
But at half-time Spalding were in front and in line for what would have been a morale boosting victory.
They took a ninth minute lead as both sides struggled to get to grips with the bounce of the ball on the hard Sir Halley Stewart pitch.
Tulips keeper Michael Duggan had his own early scare misjudging a bounce in the opening moments but his defenders were able to clear the danger.
When the same happened to Ossett keeper Brett Souter though he opted to jump deliberately into Romario Martin rather than go after the ball giving the referee an easy penalty decision to make.
Martin, who came in to the starting XI for Bradley Wells who has departed the Tulips for Hednesford Town, squeezed the spot kick under the keeper who was diving to his right.
Souter only received a yellow card rather than a red from the incident as the ball was heading away from goal, but he was lucky again moments later when he mis-kicked an attempted clearance to the corner flag.
Martin beat him to the ball on the touchline and the keeper pushed him over but the only punishment was the free-kick.
Spalding remained in complete control for the first 25 minutes but the only other chance saw Rudy Misambo head an effort on target that lacked power and was easily held by Souter
Up to that point Ossett had offered very little other than plenty of anger at the referee,
but importantly on the half hour their manager Andy Welsh made a tactical change and brought on the giant centre forward Tom Corner.
Amid a more direct approach, most things came though him and the visitors were on top from thereon in.
Spalding endured an aerial bombardment at times, but Ossett failed to really test Duggan in the minutes before half time bar him scrambling a Tyrone Gay header around the post after a Corner flick on.
After resolutely defending before the break, The Tulips’ lead lasted just two minutes into the second half. A long throw was launched into the box that wasn’t dealt with and it fell to Marko Basic who fired home from around eight yards out.
Ossett went for the kill, throwing men forward and creating many more dead ball situations. Centre back James Knowles went close with a header and in the 58th minute Duggan produced an excellent instinctive save from the same player, the header from six-years being brilliantly tipped over.
The game then became a more even affair for a 15 minute spell, but in truth Spalding didn’t create even a half chance during the second half with the their final ball frequently lacking in quality in contrast to the visitors.
It wasn’t really a surprise when on 78 minutes Ossett took the lead.
Again the ball was loaded into the box, Tom Greaves having the initial shot which was well blocked but the ball couldn’t have fallen better for sub Shiraz Khan who coolly guided it into the net.
A few hopeful balls into the area was all that provided the Tulips with any hope during the remaining minutes, but after such an eventful opening few moments, Ossett stopper Souter barely touched the ball in the second period come the full time whistle.
Tulips: Duggan, Hare, Hugo, Cullingworth (Brownell 75), Spafford, Misambo (Fixter 67), Moyses, Everington, Martin, Mettam (Zeuner 80), Acar. Not used: Marshall, White
MOTM: Kegan Everington
Att: 144
