Spalding United’s relegation fight has turned into a promotion push.
Only a few weeks from leaving the Pitching In Southern League Central Premier the Tulips are seventh after a fantastic 3-0 win at home to Stratford Town on Saturday.
They’re now just three points off the play offs and six off top of the table Telford United after a fourth win in a row.
Third placed Stratford could have gone top of the league if they’d won but they were comfortably held by a Spalding side who are unbeaten in their last 10 stretching back to November.
“It’s fantastic where we’ve come from,” said manager Jimmy Dean. “In the first half we were electric.
“It was a pulsating performance and we should have had more and been out of sight.”
The Tulips had several early chances including when Joseph Nyahwema showed quick feet before shooting just wide.
It was something similar that gave Spalding the 22nd minute lead, this time the forward taking the ball off a defender in his own penalty area before this time finding the target.
James Clifton was only denied by an excellent save from close range.
It was 2-0 not long after in the 35th minute though as a free kick from the half way line into the Stratford box was beautifully controlled by Darnell Johnson allowing him to spin away from the defender and beat the keeper with his second touch.
It was 3-0 55 minutes into the second half when Abduramane Sano Sani finished off a lovely move down the left hand side.
Stratford hit the bar from a free kick while Cybulski did the same with a header in from a James Clifton ball in.
Startford hit the woodwork again in added time.
“They changed their shape in the middle of the half to try and get to grips with us bringing on two subs, which shows how much we were in the ascendancy,” Dean continued.
“In the second half they started the better and the third goal probably came at a good time for us.
“It was a good goal, very well worked.
“If teams are going to have to chase us then I think we have tools to hurt them on the transitions.
“My players controlled and killed the game superbly.
“The front four were absolutely electric and the two midfielders behind them gave great control.
“The back four as well defended the box fantastically and Aaron Chapman has pulled out big saves when he’s had to.
“Considering he’s only had two games he’s so solid.”
Now relegation looks to have been avoided, now comes the promotion push for the second half of the season.
It’s a big week at the Sir Halley Stewart with Royston visiting in the league on Saturday before Dean’s former Scunthorpe United side are the visitors on Tuesday night in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup.
“I said we were in a relegation battle when I came in and we were,” said Dean. “It was really tough.
“Andrew (Killingsworth, chairman) has allowed me to get a good side in, the staff are fantastic.
“We’ve a really tough game against a Royston side who have been on a fantastic run with a fantastic manager.
“The conditions will probably suit them next week but we’ll attack it.
“The ground staff deserve a tremendous amount of praise for what they’ve done with the pitch.
“They’ve made it flat and the weather has allowed it to firm up and it allowed us to play a better game.
“They’re giving their own time up to help this football club.
“I think the youngest one is 67.
“Me and the players really appreciate it.”
Tulips: Chapman, Walker, Fox, Moore, Johnson, Lawlor, Sembie-Ferris, Freeman, Cybulski, Sano Sani, Nyahwema. Subs: Hudson, Clifton, Brown, Leshabela, Ngandu.
Attendance: 418.
Pictures by Adrian Smith.
