Stocksbridge Park Steels 1
Spalding United 1
By RAY TUCKER
Michael Duggan making a penalty save and Conor Marshall scoring a last-gasp leveller were key factors in Spalding United returning home from Yorkshire with a valuable Evo-Stik League East Division point on Saturday.
Keeper Duggan tipped a 38th-minute Scott Ruthven penalty past the post at Stocksbridge Park Steels, while Marshall’s injury-time strike cancelled out Brodie Litchfield’s opener 13 minutes from time.
It was remarkable, however, that manager Matt Easton was able to assemble a full compliment of players for the game due to selection problems.
Kegan Everington was ruled out of the selection process due to suspension and fellow midfielder Danny Brooks had not recovered sufficiently from the ankle injury received against Tadcaster a week earlier and was also sidelined.
There were further problems facing the Tulips chief too, with Jack Brownell still recovering from the illness that had forced him to miss the last two matches and influential centre back Neal Spafford reporting unwell with a virus complaint.
Under normal circumstances neither would have been considered for selection, but they rallied to the cause.
Jenk Acar (shoulder) and skipper Ben Davison (knee) were also doubtful starters, but committed themselves to taking part.
On the day, gaining a share of the points was a tremendous achievement against a free-moving home team who had the lion’s share of the scoring opportunities on offer. But, with a number of glaring misses and against a determined Tulips’ rearguard, they would certainly have considered that it was two points lost rather than one won.
The opening stages of the game however, saw the Tulips on the offensive, with Liam Marshall and James Hugo assisting Acar down the left side and Davison testing keeper Edward Hall with a firm header from the cross. Shortly afterwards Davison again tested the keeper.
But Steels, fielding former Tulip Jordan Lemon (on loan from Matlock Town) were soon hitting back.
Ruthven’s effort posed no real problem for Duggan, but the keeper was kept fully occupied in the minutes that followed, making an excellent near-post block and then thanking James Hugo for clearing the follow-up shot from the line.
Liam McFadyen was then afforded a free header from a corner, but sent the ball high over the bar before Lemon completely missed connection with the ball with the goal at his mercy following a corner.
The 38th minute saw Liam Marshall concede a penalty, but Duggan denied Ruthven from the spot kick with a superb save at full stretch to turn the ball round a post.
Five minutes into the second half Leon Mettam grazed the woodwork with a shot from 18 yards, but at the other end the wasteful Ruthven missed another glorious opportunity by firing high over the bar following a brilliant four-man passing movement down the left side.
For Spalding, Scott Floyd’s shot clipped the top of Hall’s crossbar and Hugo’s attempt was comfortably collected by the home keeper.
The Tulips were coping well, with Conor Marshall working his socks off in the heart of defence.
But the deadlock was broken in the 77th minute when Litchfield finished off a speedy left side movement, giving Duggan no chance.
There was still fight left in the Tulips with plenty of encouragement from the bench and the few travelling fans.
Reward finally arrived the closing seconds of normal time with the industrious Conor Marshall meeting a corner at the back post and slamming the ball over the line to make it 1-1.
The draw sees Spalding slip down to 19th place in the table, with only AFC Mansfield – who have three games in hand – below them.
Tulips: Duggan, C Marshall, L Marshall, Floyd, Spafford, Fixter, Hugo, Brownell (Humble 55), Mettam, Davison (Brown 85), Acar (White 72). Not used: Smith.
MOTM: Duggan and C Marshall.
Attendance: 114.
