Doodson Sport Cup 2nd round: Spalding United 5 Coalville Town 1
Pat Rayment has a delicious dilemma going into Saturday’s league match with Romulus (Sir Halley, 3pm).
Striker Andrew Tidswell staked his claim for a return to the starting line-up with two goals inside the first eight minutes as the Tulips eased into the Doodson Cup third round on Tuesday night.
However, leading scorer Tom Waumsley, who replaced Tidswell on the hour, added another goal to his impressive run.
Fellow striker Jordan Hempenstall also notched so boss Rayment has a wealth of in-form options.
As good as Tidswell was, it would be hard to state a case at this point for breaking up the Waumsley/Hempenstall partnership which has started the last two league games as the Tulips extended their eyecatching run to seven wins in eight unbeaten.
Their last league defeat was two months ago at Sheffield FC.
Tidswell was at it from the off on Tuesday, latching on to an errant Coalville pass to fire home from an angle in the third minute.
He then romped past the last line of defence to take up a similar position – with the same unerring outcome.
The Tulips have evolved into an outfit which is tight at the back and frightening going forward.
At one point against Coalville, it didn’t just seem like they would score in every wave of attack.
Hempenstall nonchanantly rounded the keeper to make it 3-0 and Jordan Nuttell also gave a timely reminder to Rayment of his ability, calmly right-footing the Tulips into an unassailable lead by half-time.
Coalville had been suffocated and there was little they – or probably any other team in the division – could have done against such irrepressible opposition.
The only pity was that a mere 90 people were there to see it.
The fear was that the second half would not live up to the first, and so it proved.
However, Waumsley’s 80th minute individual effort – dancing around three defenders in the box before drilling the ball under keeper Matt Cotton – was a highlight.
Unfortunately for the Tulips, Sam Brooks spolied what would have been a third straight clean sheet, but Rayment had seen enough by then to underline his claim that this is not a top Spalding United 11, it’s a 16 which is fully interchangeable.
And he has now upgraded his pre-season aim of a play-off place by saying his players could even have a shot at the Evo-Stik First Division South championship.
He said: “This squad is capable of winning the title.
“We have come through a patch against the likes of Norton United, Stafford Rangers, Mickleover Sports and Leek Town and won them all.”
“At times we’ve been unplayable.”
As the table stands, if the Tulips were to win their matches in hand, they could be top.
Current league leaders Sutton Coldfield Town come to the Sir Halley on Sunday, December 28.
That’s one to look out for over the festive period – as well as a Boxing Day trip to play-off hopefuls Lincoln United (both 3pm).
Tulips: Duggan, Griffiths, Jackson, Stevens, Leary, Nuttell, L Thurlbourne (G Stainfield 70), McGovern, Tidswell (Waumsley 60), Hempenstall (Oliver 76), J Thurlbourne.
Vic Couzens-sponsored man of the match: Michael Leary.
