Spalding Men’s 1st 9 St Neots 1st 0
Spalding welcomed St Neots looking to secure promotion and the league title in front of an expectant crowd at Surfleet.
Spalding flew out of the traps and went into a 2-0 lead inside ten minutes.
Will Baker opened the scoring with a fantastic deflection and just two minutes later Jacob Baker found space in the D to give Spalding an early boost in their quest for the win.
St Neots responded and several fine saves from Oscar Haunch prevented the game being reduced.
Spalding became frustrated and lost Ethan Pearson to a green card and their tempo took a dip.
Seven minutes before half time another Baker goal took the lead to 3-0 going into half time.
A rousing half-time team talk from captain Sam Howitt and vice captain Baker saw Spalding step their game up another level and this blew St Neots away.
Stu Cunnington saw a penalty corner fly into the net and a superb team passing goal resulted in Baker finding James Grant to bring the score to 5-0.
Baker, now flying with confidence, added his second with a fine solo goal and ten minutes later Howitt found his vice captain at the top of the D and Baker did the rest with a composed finish to get his hat trick and it made the score 7-0 and Spalding on the verge of becoming champions.
With five minutes remaining, defender Phil Callow got on the scoring act and unleashed a thunder bolt past the keeper.
Spalding still hungry for more went again and Baker added another to his tally to complete his fourth goal of the afternoon.
Spalding pushed to score their 100th goal of the season but ran out of time and will look to push past that mark with three more games remaining.
A superb team effort saw Spalding celebrate come the final whistle as promotion back to Division One was confirmed and Spalding are still unbeaten in the league.
Pictures by Nigel Cookson.
Spalding Men’s 2nd 0 St Ives 1
Spalding lost in a very even game 1-0 with five minutes to go.
Both teams had good spells of possession with Spalding being the slightly stronger side.
Both sides had around ten shorts but neither converted.
Rob Callaby made several good saves and Spalding created plenty of chances with good work from Reuben Rogers (when he wasn’t rattling the opposition) and man of the match Brendan Atkin.
However, with five minutes left the decisive blow was given with the ball rolling in with lots of fortune.
The defence were solid and recycled the ball well with Simon Goode and Tom Pilgrim putting good shifts in.
It was an unfortunate result in an even game.
Spalding Men’s 3rd 1 Bourne Deeping 2nd 1
Spalding Men’s 3rd produced one of their most encouraging performances of the season on Saturday, despite falling to a 4-0 home defeat against Bourne Deeping 2nd.
Facing a strong and well-drilled Bourne Deeping side, Spalding showed just how far they have come since the reverse fixture at the start of the campaign.
On that occasion, Bourne Deeping dictated proceedings from the outset, but this time it was a far more competitive and hard-fought encounter that never felt like a four-goal game.
From the first whistle, Spalding were organised, disciplined and determined.
The defensive unit worked tirelessly to close down space and limit clear-cut chances, while the midfield pressed intelligently to disrupt Bourne Deeping’s rhythm.
For long periods, Spalding matched their opponents stride for stride, showing greater composure on the ball and improved decision-making compared to earlier in the season.
The visitors took their chances clinically, capitalising on short spells of pressure to edge ahead, but the overall balance of play told a different story to the scoreboard.
Spalding created promising openings of their own and forced Bourne Deeping to defend in numbers, demonstrating growing confidence and cohesion throughout the side.
At 2-0, the contest remained finely poised, and Spalding continued to battle, refusing to let heads drop.
Even as Bourne Deeping added two further goals, the game never felt one-sided.
Instead, it served as a clear marker of progress – a sign of how much the squad has developed in structure, resilience and belief since that early season meeting.
While the result was disappointing, the performance was anything but.
The gap between the two teams has narrowed considerably, and if this trajectory continues, it won’t be long before performances like this are rewarded with points.
A 4-0 scoreline on paper, perhaps, but in reality, a display that underlined just how far Spalding 3rd have come.
Spalding Men’s 4th 1 Wisbech 1
Spalding Men’s 4th travelled to Wisbech for a competitive away fixture on a wet and rainy afternoon and there were plenty of positives despite a tough challenge.
Wisbech opened the scoring, and the teams went into the break 1-0.
The half time team talk allowed Spalding to regroup and refocus for the second half.
Early in the second half, Spalding stepped up the pressure and struck back with a fantastic goal from Ed Sly, levelling the score and giving the team renewed confidence.
Freddie Neal was named player of the match after an outstanding attacking display throughout the game, driving the team forward with energy and determination even after picking up an injury during the warm-up.
The younger players impressed throughout, with Isaac Davidson particularly standing out for his excellent positioning and composure on the ball.
Andy Barlow and Alex Myland controlled the centre of the pitch with composure and intelligent passing.
Thanks go to James Booth and John Clark who stepped up last minute to help the team out on the day.
Spalding’s resilience, teamwork and the combination of youth and experience were clear throughout.
The performance offers plenty of positives for the team to build on in upcoming fixtures.
The match ended 1-1 with Spalding picking up an important point with three matches to go until the end of the season.
Spalding Ladies’ 2nd 1 Peterborough Ladies’ 4th 1
Spalding Ladies’ 2nd produced a solid and spirited performance away from home in a feisty encounter against Peterborough Ladies 4th, earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
The visitors dominated much of the play throughout the match, showcasing fast counter-attacks and well-connected passages of play.
Their efforts were rewarded before half time, as Spalding took a deserved 1-0 lead into the break.
The goal came after some beautiful linked play between Amy Naylor and Kate Amess, plus a lucky deflection off the opposition player’s defensive stick.
In the second half, Steph Wilson came agonisingly close to doubling the advantage with a powerful strike that rebounded off the post. Lily Hooker had a beautiful reverse shot at goal, but sadly the ball didn’t cross the line.
Spalding continued to apply pressure and won numerous short corners.
Despite the much-anticipated debut of the “Evie Maltby slip” routine in the ladies’ 2nd’s setup, the set pieces couldn’t be converted.
Peterborough found their equaliser in the 52nd minute from a short corner, levelling the score at 1-1.
The remainder of the match was competitive and intense, with both sides battling hard.
Spalding created several further chances and were unlucky not to restore their lead.
A fabulous stick save from the home side’s goalkeeper denied Spalding what would have been a well-earned second goal.
Despite growing frustration, Spalding fought determinedly until the final whistle.
It was a strong team performance that had plenty of positives to take forward, with the final score ending 1-1.
Spalding Ladies’ 3rd 3 Ely City 0
The ladies’ game opened with a heavy downpour of rain which left both teams saturated from the first whistle.
Spalding were immediately dominant and kept the ball in Ely’s half taking countless shots on goal.
The Ely keeper was outstanding with her ninja-like saves but in the 23rd minute captain Terri Bateman ran the ball into D and scored after a pass from Lucy McClements.
Play was feisty in places but Spalding were undeterred and in the 52nd minute McClements found the back of the net following a nice slip through the defence by Jess Worth.
Goalkeeper Eliza Morris was kept busy at times and she used her arms, stick and feet to keep the opposition from scoring!
By the 67th minute Sam Foston shot the ball into the goal after a good build up by Jessica Pilgrim and Jess Worth.
A few members of the team excitedly cheered when Kelly Tizzano took a straight strike to goal during a penalty corner. However the goal was disallowed due to the height of the shot.
The final result was 3-0 leaving Spalding in the running for promotion back into Division Four.
