Only one match went ahead for Spalding Hockey Club at the weekend, with many being called off due the bad weather.
Spalding Men’s 3rd 0
Pelicans 3rd 3
Spalding fell to a defeat in a match that was far more competitive than the scoreline suggests.
The game opened with fast, side-to-side hockey, with both teams creating early chances and testing each other’s defence.
Spalding were kept firmly in the contest thanks to an extraordinary performance from man of the match Eddie Sawyer, whose outstanding goalkeeping denied the opposition on numerous occasions. His efforts ensured the score remained level for most of the first half, before a late goal saw the opponents edge ahead just minutes before the break.
The opposition came out strongly in the second half and scored two quick, back-to-back goals that put Spalding under pressure.
Despite this setback, heads did not drop. Spalding showed real character, battling hard until the final whistle and working tirelessly to shut down further attacks and limit any additional damage.
Cambridge 6
Long Sutton Men’s 1st 5
In one of the few matches to escape the wintry conditions, Long Sutton Men’s 1st team fought out an 11-goal thriller at Cambridge in their Division 1N league match.
The late start time under floodlights caught Sutton napping or was it they were still in the Christmas spirit giving away presents for free?
After an unbelievable 32 minutes Cambridge rattled in six goals.
James Collingwood-Smith replied for Sutton scoring his first senior goal for the club.
After a strong half-time talk and several positional changes, Sutton, in particular Josh Baker, came out with all guns blazing, regaining control of midfield and finding some space.
Baker scored a stunning four goals in 13 minutes to pull the score back to 6-5.
With a few minutes remaining Sutton went so close to earning a draw, but it just wasn’t to be.
The second half display should give them the confidence to perform against most of the teams in a tough league, and help avoid relegation to Division Two, which is also a strong league including Spalding, Bourne Deeping and Wisbech, although Spalding look certain to gain promotion.
