Spalding United 0
Shaw Lane AFC 1
Deflated Dave Frecklington felt that his Spalding United side did everything asked of them as they slipped to a 1-0 home defeat against Evo-Stik NPL First Division South leaders Shaw Lane AFC on Saturday.
The second-placed Tulips, who would have moved level on points with the table-toppers with a win, instead ended the day six points off the pace following Gary Burnett’s first-half winner.
Spalding supremo Frecklington thought his side dominated the crunch clash and deserved at least a point, but was left to rue a top goalkeeping display from Shaw Lane stand-in Matelisz Zanwieski.
The away stopper pulled off a string of stellar saves, including getting a crucial fingertip onto Adam Jackson’s early effort which crashed off the bar and over.
Although Shaw Lane have three games in hand on Spalding too, Frecklington insisted that the title race is still wide open.
“Unbelievable,” said Frecklington. “I though their keeper was absolutely different class.
“He caught everything and dealt with everything that came into the box – and every time we had a good chance he saved it.
“We missed one or two really good chances and dominated the second half. They had one shot and scored – which is what teams at the top of the league seem to do.
“It was a great finish and they saw the game out. I can’t ask any more from my lads, apart from a 15 or 20 minute spell we absolutely dominated the game.
“I thought we were by far the better side. We limited them to few chances and I don’t think our keeper touched the ball in the second half.
“The team gave me everything. They put ball after ball into the box and we had a lot of chances.
“Everybody is devastated in the dressing room – but I told the boys to enjoy their beer, because they earned it.
“If you come off the pitch after a big game and feel like you should have done better, then you go home disappointed. But we put a real shift in against the league leaders, who have lost one game all season, and we’re still disappointed because we’ve not won the game.
“They’ll go away and see it as a great three points, which it is, beating their rivals and going six clear.
“But they’ve not had a wobble yet and every team will have a wobble at some point. If they don’t, then they deserve to win the title.
“They aren’t out of sight. It’s only six points and we’ve got to play them at their place still.
“They’ve also got a lot of big games and the pitches aren’t getting any easier.
“They are a good outfit with good players that have played leagues above this one.
“I’m really proud of what the boys put in for the football club and themselves, but we are disappointed with the goal we conceded.
“We got caught ball watching and didn’t read the danger. But our response was brilliant and I can sleep well knowing that we did everything we possibly could.”
With Conor Higginson injured, winger Lee Beeson was handed is latest home debut for the Tulips – and he was straight into the action, receiving a horrible tackle from Stevie Istead early on.
The first opening of the match fell to Tulips skipper Nathan Stainfield, who saw his volley expertly tipped around the post by Zanwieski.
Beeson was next to test the away keeper, who turned away his angled drive and then got up to somehow tip Jackson’s follow-up onto the bar an over.
More Spalding pressure followed, with Stainfield heading a brilliant Beeson delivery over at the back post.
But, as so often happens, Shaw Lane struck gold from their first genuine attack. A ball forward was flicked into the path of Burnett, who caught the home defence napping and superbly slotted past Richard Walton on 18 minutes.
The Tulips reacted well to going behind and tested Zanwieski again when sponsors’ man-of-the-match Nathan Whitehead nodded Beeson’s corner towards the top corner.
Whitehead was also involved in Spalding’s final chance of the half, clipping a clever pass through for top scorer Brad Wells, who fired over with his left foot.
The chances continued to come for the hosts after the break. Jordan Lemon saw his header cleared off the line by Ryan Qualter, who was something of a rock for Shaw Lane all afternoon.
Wells then saw his header turned around the post following a period of pinball in the away box, before Beeson blasted a long-ranger just wide of the target.
The longer the second half went on, the deeper Shaw Lane dropped. Spalding threw everything at them, with Matt Varley’s trademark long throws prominent.
But Zanwieski was a man on a mission, denying both Whitehead and Stainfield will stellar stops as time began to run down.
With Spalding unable to break through, it ended up being the clichéd ‘performance of champions’ from Shaw Lane, who ground out a victory when very much on the backfoot.
The Tulips, though, can take great pride in their performance – and, on this evidence, they aren’t about to give up on their title dream just yet.
Tulips: Walton, Walker, Jackson, Varley (Wightwick 81), Stainfield, Spafford, Lemon (Lockie 75), Whitehead, Wells, Barraclough, Beeson. Not used: Field, Fleming, Duggan.
Sponsors’ MOTM: Whitehead.
Attendance: 253.
