Spalding United 2
Belper Town 1
Super-sub Leon Mettam came off the bench with just nine minutes of normal playing time remaining to score twice and provide Spalding United with only their second home Evo-Stik League East Division victory of the season on Saturday.
Mettam replaced the injured Jenk Acar in the 81st minute and just four minutes later had cancelled out high-flying Belper Town’s fourth-minute lead with a spectacular overhead scissor-kick from a superb cross by fellow substitute Jack Brownell.
As the game edged towards a period of added time Mettam jigged into the Belper area and was unceremoniously brought down. Referee Mark
Thomas immediately pointed to the spot and the striker duly stepped up to convert the resulting penalty – again giving goalkeeper Leigh Overton to chance.
After a hard-fought encounter, with the Tulips fielding new signings, brothers Bradley and Kieron Wells, it was a 2-1 victory that the home side deserved after working so hard for the win they and their faithful supporters had waited so long for.
Boss Matt Easton heaped praise on match-winner Mettam, who had been dropped for “tactical reasons”.
He said: “Leon has an amazing attitude. I told him before the game that he wasn’t going to start for tactical reasons.
“He took it really well and was very professional during the game, too.
“I got the feeling he was really up for it when he came on – and he duly delivered. His finishing is top class and both goals, the overhead especially, were incredible.”
Belper, who went into the game sitting just outside of the play-off places, hit the struggling Tulips hard at the outset with some speedy attacking play which brought early success.
Home keeper Michael Duggan was in early action, turning a solid effort from Nathan Curtis round a post.
Two corner kicks followed in quick succession – and from the second Curtis opened the scoring with a glancing header.
Minutes later Alex Peterson should have doubled the visitors’ lead, but fired wildly over the crossbar from 18-yards.
But the Tulips weathered the early storm and settled to give as give as good as they received.
Scott Floyd won possession in his home half of the pitch and raced down the right wing, before pinging over a low cross which found Kegan Everington, who shot inches wide of the target.
Then James Hugo hoisted a high ball over from the left side to force a good save from keeper Overton.
Ben Davison was also near to finding the net and Kieron Wells’ effort found the side netting.
Belper battled hard, but seldom produced enough in front of goal to trouble Duggan.
The final stages were nip and tuck, with Belper hanging on to their slender lead and the Tulips foraging for what appeared the elusive equalising goal.
All changed, however, with Mettam introduced to the action in the 81st minute.
His equalising goal four minutes later was spectacular to say the least and his second, after being fouled in the area brought hushed silence to the ground as he stepped up for the match deciding penalty kick.
The roar from the unusually sparse gathering on the terraces suddenly erupted as the ball flew into the net.
Tulips: Duggan, C Marshall, Hugo, Floyd (Brownell 78),Humble, Fixter, K Wells, Everington, B Wells, Davison, Acar (Mettam 81). Not used: L Marshall, White, Smith.
MOTM: Mettam.
Attendance: 98
