A last-gasp strike from James Mayhew earned Spalding 1st a 4-3 win at Pelicans 1st on Saturday as they opened up a two-point lead at the top of East Men’s Hockey League Division One North.
The table-toppers came from 2-0 down to lead 3-2, before shrugging off an equaliser to grab glory in the dying seconds – all while title rivals Harleston Magpies 2nd were being held 2-2 at Cambridge South.
Hosts Pelicans started the better of the two teams, applying pressure from the first whistle and peppering Nathan Davy’s goal as he did well to keep the score down to just 2-0.
Spalding soon started to press, though, and earned a short corner with two minutes left in the first period, which Joe Rogers buried.
The start of the second period saw more short corners for Spalding, leading to a second for Rogers.
That was shortly followed by a great passage of play from Tom Mayhew and Stu Cunnington, ending with a great deflection finish from Ethan Pearson.
Pelicans weren’t done, however, and they levelled from a short corner.
That set the stage for James Mayhew to snatch Spalding’s 12th win from 14 games in the league as he turned in a clean reverse stick cross from Cunnington.
Elsewhere, Long Sutton 1st had a tough day out at Cambridge City 4th as a depleted side lost 9-2.
Travelling with just 11 players – and a few of them were carrying niggling injuries – the odds were against a Sutton success.
However, they started superbly and Josh Baker scored just 15 seconds into the opening exchanges.
Four goals in 30 minutes then put the home side in command, but Dom Ibrahim did make it 4-2 before the break when he beat two defenders and finished neatly.
Sutton never really came out the blocks in the second half and five more unanswered goals from the hosts left them soundly beaten.
In the same division, Spalding 2nd are now bottom after a 4-1 home defeat against leaders City of Peterborough 3rd.
Spalding gave a good account of themselves in the first half and were just 1-0 down at Glen Park.
But COP’s strength and experience began to show through in the second half and they grabbed three more goals despite a Jacob Drew strike for the hosts.
Down in Division Four North West, Long Sutton 2nd remain clear at the top after cruising to a 5-0 home victory over St Neots 2nd.
After a battling first period, Stef Fox’s well struck finish late in the half gave Sutton a 1-0 lead at the break.
After the interval it was all Sutton with Tyler Hagan making it two and Alex Canham netting a third.
Tom Baguley and Ed White then rounded off the Peele Leisure Centre rout and sealed a 13th win from 14 matches.
Divisional rivals Spalding 4th, meanwhile, were beaten 2-0 at Ely City 2nd. In a tight game, two quick second-half strikes gave the hosts the points on the day.
They are fifth in the standings after the defeat.
Meanwhile, Long Sutton 3rd’s clash with Bourne Deeping 5th in Division Five North West was postponed.
Down in Division Six North West, Spalding 5th are 12 points clear after picking up a 2-0 win at Kettering 5th.
Spalding clinched the game with well-taken goals from Andy Barlow and Cameron Roy.
- Saturday fixtures: Spalding 1st v Cambs South (2pm); Cambs South 2nd v Spalding 2nd (1.30pm); Cambs City o/45 v Long Sutton (noon); Spalding 4th v Wisbech Town 3rd (12.30pm); Kettering 3rd v Long Sutton 2nd (4pm); Long Sutton 3rd v St Ives 4th (2.30pm); Spalding 5th v St Neots 4th (3.30pm).
