Spalding United 0
Tadcaster Albion 1
A resurgent Spalding United were desperately unfortunate not to get a share of the Evo-Stik League Division One East spoils against high rolling Tadcaster Albion at the Sir Halley Stewart Field on Saturday.
Following two back-to-back 3-0 defeats the Tulips pulled out all of the stops to ensure their Yorkshire visitors, holding third place in the league, would not have an easy ride.
They were held at bay until the 89th minute when the Brewers broke the deadlock and Spalding hearts, with a fortuitous deciding goal through Chris Howey – which followed the second of two unrewarded penalty appeals from the home team during the game.
Manager Matt Easton called Danny Brooks back from his loan spell at Harrowby United, which proved to be a shrewd call as the midfielder turned in a man-of-the-match performance.
Easton also made a key positional change, with Liam Marshall replacing James Hugo at left back, allowing the teenager to exploit his talent with foraging runs and deft crosses further up down the left side.
Considering the huge placement difference between the two teams, any casual visitor would have been hard pressed to decide which of the two was challenging for top spot – with play flowing from end to end throughout.
The Tulips were first to feature in attack, with Hugo dashing down his left wing and cutting in to force a save from former Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Michael Ingham.
Shortly afterwards, as The Brewers responded, Neal Spafford halted Patrick Miller in his tracks with a telling challenge.
Brooks, along with right back Conor Marshall, were mixing it with the best that ‘Taddy’could offer.
Mid-way through the opening half Hugo again featured prominently and tested the provenance of Ingham who managed to parry his low struck shot and Jack Walters hooked the ball to safety.
At the other end, Casey Stewart jinked into the area and fired inches wide of Michael Duggan’s right side post.
In the minutes that followed Duggan twice made telling saves to deny the visitors, but towards the interval it was the Tulips who posed the bigger threat with skipper Ben Davison forcing a save from Ingham and Brooks just inches wide with a blistering free-kick from 30 yards.
There was much of the same in the second half, with nothing to choose between the two sides.
Leon Mettam should have done better when presented with a good scoring opportunity on 50 minutes, but ended a good movement by shooting straight into the welcoming arms of Ingham.
At the other end Billy Whitehouse hoisted the ball high over the bar when pressured by Brooks.
Mettam then went down in the visitors’ area, but penalty appeals were ignored and – with play swiftly moving to the other end – the visitors somehow managed to work some space, just enough for Howey to get in a shot which found a way through and into the net.
In the four minutes of added time Davison was just inches away from levelling the scores.
On the day a draw would have been the fairest result – but Spalding slipped down to 18th in the table as a result of the late strike.
Tulips: Duggan, C Marshall, L Marshall (Floyd 75), Brooks, Fixter, Spafford, Hugo, Everington, Mettam, Davison, Acar. Not used: Humble, Jalo, White, Smith.
MOTM (sponsored by T and B Containers): Danny Brooks.
Attendance: 107.
