Spalding United 0
Leek Town 1
Boss Dave Frecklington admitted that his Spalding United side were beaten at their own game on Saturday as Leek Town handed them their first Evo-Stik NPL First Division South defeat of the season.
The Tulips, who were missing three key men but handed debuts to new signings Conor Higginson and Danny Durkin, were seen off by Toby Mullarkey’s 30th-minute header at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field.
In truth, Frecklington’s charges had man-of-the-match keeper Michael Duggan to thank for the score only being 1-0. He pulled off three outstanding first-half saves, while the Tulips were restricted to a series of half-chances after the break.
The defeat, Spalding’s first in 11 games in the league, sees them fall a point behind new leaders Shaw Lane Aquaforce – but they do have a game in hand.
Frecklington said: “I feel frustrated. We’re missing key players, let’s not hide that fact.
“Really, we’re missing players down the spine of the team – Nathan Whitehead, Neal Spafford and Brad Barraclough.
“I’m not making excuses, but Whitehead and Spafford – Barraclough hasn’t been able to play yet – have been big parts of what we’re trying to do here.
“They’re experienced and have that knowhow. We’ve brought players in and I thought Conor Higginson looked bright in the first half, but that was his first 45 minutes in a while.
“I thought Leek did well. They came here and did exactly what we’ve done to teams this season.
“They were big and strong and didn’t have any adventure about them. We got caught ball-watching two or three times and ended up being our own worst enemy really.
“We needed the boys that have got the quality to show, but none of them really delivered, I’m afraid.
“There was frustration in the crowd and the dugout as everything that we’ve been good at this season, wasn’t good this time.
“But you have to give credit to Leek. They have got a few injuries themselves, but I thought they set up to get a draw but obviously nicked one from a set piece.
“Again, set-pieces are what we’re normally good at – but teams just pack the box now. We’re getting worked out at the minute and we need to be better in every area to try and combat that.
“What we need is our players back, as we’ve got to the top of the league with a certain way of playing and with the same 11 really.
“The players that have come in have done OK, but it’s going to take them three or four games to learn how we want to play.
“But, in terms of where we are, one loss from 11 games is great and we’ve got to put things into perspective really. But this is two losses on the bounce, so we need to show a little more resolve.
“I expected a response in this game – and in terms of scrapping and competing, we did get that. But we’ve been found wanting recently.”
The away side started much the better, with Duggan forced to deny the dangerous Tim Grice at the near post following a quick free kick.
Dangerman Grice then met a cross from Chris Budrys with a volley back across Duggan, but the home stopper got down superbly to turn the ball away.
The chances continued to come, with Dan Shelley lofting an outside-of-the-foot effort just wide of the Spalding far corner from a tough angle.
With Frecklington increasingly agitated on the sideline, that man Duggan made the save of the match, with Grice again the man denied. He tipped a fierce low effort around the post to keep his side level.
However, the reprieve was temporary as – from the resulting corner – Mullarkey rose to bury Jake Dunwoody’s delivery past the helpless home keeper.
Spalding did spark into life a little towards the end of the half, with Cenk Acar involved in the two moments of note.
He was seemingly tripped inside the box when in full flight, but the referee waved away the Tulips appeals. Then, the winger got in down the left but saw his strike blocked at the near post.
That pressure continued into the second period, with the long throws of Matt Varley causing Leek to defend superbly well in numbers.
And, when the away side did make a slip up, defender Darren Chadwick was on hand to heroically block Durkin’s strike from close in.
Sub Jonny Lockie lashed a half-chance over at the back post as Spalding pushed for a leveller, but they struggled to prise open the Leek backline.
Nathan Stainfield seemed to be pulled down in the box in the closing stages before the visitors were reduced to ten men when skipper Niall MaGuire was dismissed in added time following a scuffle that involved most of the players.
There wasn’t much time for the Tulips to find a leveller, with the closest they came being an injury-time lob from an offside Jordan Lemon.
Tulips: Duggan, Lemon, Field, Varley, Stainfield, Walker, Acar, Higginson (Downey 46), Wells, Durkin (Lockie 68), Wright. Not used: Cullingworth, Barker, Henderson.
Attendance: 164.
MOTM: Duggan.
