Spalding United 1
Frickley Athletic 3
Jonny Lockie scored a poignant goal for Spalding United on Tuesday night – but it couldn’t stop them losing 3-1 at home to Evo-Stik NPL First Division South play-off hopefuls Frickley Athletic.
Teenage talent Lockie turned home a Cenk Acar cross on 28 minutes to give the Tulips a first-half lead at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field some four weeks after he suffered a suspected neck injury against the same opposition.
That match was abandoned nine minutes from time due to Lockie’s scare, with the visitors leading 2-0 at the time.
Frickley duly collected the three points that they’ll feel they were due with three second-half goals, however, with Thomas Dugdale (penalty), Sam Liversedge and Jacob Hazel all netting.
The win sees Frickley stay on-track for the play-offs, while Spalding remain in 14th place.
On what was a relatively low key night at the Sir Halley, James Hugo saw a free-kick saved before Lockie opened the scoring on what was a rare start for the Tulips.
Midfielder Matt Varley then fired a long-ranger over before the half-time whistle went after just 43 minutes of the first period.
Spalding’s other teenage frontman Luke White nodded over early in the second period before Dugdale’s penalty – conceded by Neal Spafford – levelled the scores.
It was 2-1 Frickley on the hour when that man Dugdale delivered a cross for Liversedge to power home a header.
The visitors saved the best for last, however, with Hazel lobbing a sensational long-range effort past Duggan in the closing stages.
That leaves Spalding still searching for a first home win of 2018 but very much safe from the drop.
They are back in action at Gresley on Thursday night (7.45pm).
Tulips: Duggan, Davison, Hugo, Varley, Humble, Spafford, Marshall (Floyd), King (Brooks), White (Couzens), Lockie, Acar. Not used: G Stainfield.
Attendance: 83.
