Spalding United 5
Newcastle Town 0
Life after Pat Rayment began perfectly for Spalding United as they returned to winning ways with a thumping 5-0 win over Newcastle Town on Saturday.
Marcus Ebdon and Danny Hussey couldn’t have wished for a better start to their first game in caretaker charge of the Tulips, with Josh Moreman putting the hosts ahead with a stylish finish after just 75 seconds.
Sam Murphy then fired in a superb second on the stroke of half time, before Jake Newman’s stunning third ten minutes from time ended the game as a contest.
Mitch Griffiths (84) and Newman again (90) rounded off the rout at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, as Spalding ended a run of three successive Evo-Stik League First Division South defeats.
Although Ebdon is a popular choice to replace Rayment in the Tulips hot-seat long-term, the former Peterborough United and Everton winger remained coy on his plans.
He instead chose to focus on what he called an “unbelievable team performance” – but did confirm that he and coach Hussey will take charge of Tuesday’s Doodson Sport Cup clash with Matlock at the Sir Halley (7.45pm).
“I think it was an unbelievable team performance,” said Ebdon. “Every player out there today did themselves justice.
“It was very pleasing to see, we played some very good football too.
“It’s always great to win any game of football, but to score five was brilliant. It was just important to get three points in the bag.
“We’ve had three bad results in a row, even though last week was a good performance. It’s always a lot better when you get three points, though.
“It’s too early to say whether Danny and I will stay in charge. Getting that result helps the club move forward.
“I am interested in being a manager again. I obviously had a go at it with Alfreton a long time ago, which was very early on for me.
“When you’re an assistant manager you’re learning and there comes a time when you have to decide if you want to take it on or not.
“I will be speaking to the board in the next couple of days to see what goes on.
“I’ll be here on Tuesday. I told the club that I’d definitely do Saturday and Tuesday and then we’ll take it from there.”
With Rayment’s surprise departure on Wednesday, seeing bogey side Newcastle arrive at the Sir Halley probably wasn’t the ideal tonic for Spalding.
The visitors had won the previous three meetings between the two sides – but they failed to impose themselves all afternoon on what was a tough-looking pitch.
Indeed, the Tulips seized the initiative from the first attack of the game as Moreman robbed a defender and raced clear. He went round the keeper but looked to have gone too wide – only to lob home superbly from a very difficult angle.
Moreman’s strike partner Jamie Graham almost doubled the lead minutes later with a clever curling effort, while Paul Walker had a goal ruled out for offside following a super cross from Jamie Thurlbourne.
The game then entered something of a lull, before Dan Lawlor stung the palms of visiting keeper David Parton from distance.
Newcastle then created their best two chances. The first saw Neville Thompson fail to get on the end of an inviting cross from the left.
The second was a much better opening, with Tim Sanders enjoying a clean run on goal. His low drive was expertly saved by Michael Duggan, who saved with an out-stretched leg.
Spalding ended the half much the better and should have gone 2-0 up when Moreman failed to feed Graham in a two-on-one situation.
However, Murphy spared his blushes with a super strike on 44 minutes. The midfielder showed great skill to beat a man on the edge of the box, before drilling home an accurate low effort into the corner.
The second period was a little quieter, with Spalding happy to defend their lead. Newcastle offered very little, but the hosts were clearly in no mood to squander their advantage.
Spalding did, however, turn on the style in the final ten minutes. Sub Newman, back from a hamsting injury, got the ball rolling with the goal of the game.
He cut in from the right and unleashed a rocket of strike on his left foot which rifled into Parton’s top corner and made the points safe.
The hard-working Griffiths then took advantage of some suspect defending to tap home number four on 84 minutes, before Newman bundled home his second from close range following a header from skipper Nathan Stainfield.
The win sends Spalding back up to a tenth in the table, just two points from the play-off places with games in hand.
Tulips: Duggan, Walker, Jackson, Spafford, Stainfield, Murphy, Griffiths, Lawlor, Graham (Newman 72), Moreman (Sanders 83), Thurlbourne (Banister 72). Not used: Lockie.
MOTM: Walker
Attendance: 118
