Spalding Hockey Club’s junior players rounded off a spectacular season as their under-14 mixed team clinched the Lincolnshire Cup crown at Glen Park.
With the club’s under-12 mixed team becoming champions of Lincolnshire in style at the tournament finals held at Long Sutton two weeks prior, the juniors have turned on the style at the business end of the campaign.
The under-14 ‘A’ team, playing as Spalding Lions, started their league programme with a nervy 1-0 win over Lincoln Lindum, Jacob Baker putting home a penalty.
The Lions were made to work hard by the club’s second string, Spalding Tigers, in the second game but a brace from Baker and a neat finish from James Mayhew made it 3-0.
The Lions really found their rhythm in the third game against Louth and put the north Lincs side to the sword.
Baker netted a superb seven times, with Charlotte Maplethorpe, Max Bland and Frazer Watt also on target as they racked up a fantastic 10-0 win.
Sleaford also came under the hammer in the fourth game as the Spalding Lions continued to dominate.
Baker was once again at the forefront with five goals, while Frazer Watt and William Wright contributing to an impressive 7-0 win.
This set up a final clash against rivals Long Sutton A, who had won all four of their games.
Spalding Lions dominated the early exchanges with Mayhew putting them ahead after three minutes.
Sutton bounced back and it took several good saves from keeper Sullivan Smith to hold the lead.
But, with just two minutes remaining, Josh Baker equalised for Long Sutton with a cracking reverse strike to set up a cracking finish.
Lions held on with some outstanding defending from Cameron Ibrahim and Sean O’Leary to take the title.
Meanwhile, the Tigers progressed well throughout the day and went close to getting points from Sleaford and Lindum before securing a morale-boosting win over Louth to finish fifth in the top division.
The under-12 season at Spalding Hockey Club came to an end in spectacular fashion with all three mixed teams winning silverware.
The Lions kept their incredible unbeaten record for the season in Division A intact, while the final games for the Panthers and Tigers proved key to who would win Division B.
The Lions beat Sleaford 6-0 with Joe Maltby netting a treble, then saw off Long Sutton A 2-0 thanks to Maltby and Tom Bland.
Strikes from Matt Peach and Tom Ball then dispatched eventual runners-up Louth 2-0, before George Halgarth and Maltby clinched the Division A title for the Lions with a 2-0 win over Lindum.
They rounded off a perfect day by beating Bourne/Deeping Dragons 1-0 thanks to Maltby’s 100th goal of the season.
Amazingly, the Division B title was shared by the Panthers and Tigers – making it a Spalding clean-sweep in the competition.
The duo drew their final game 2-2 to finish level on points with Long Sutton B, but with a superior goal difference to take the title.
