Spalding United 1
Daventry Town 2
Pat Rayment experienced a first in his near four-year reign as Spalding United boss on Saturday as he saw his side beaten for the third league game on the trot.
Daventry Town handed the Tulips a 2-1 Evo-Stik League First Division South defeat at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, despite a goal from Jamie Graham on his full debut.
The striker put the Tulips ahead on 42 minutes – and they almost doubled their lead on the hour when Nathan Stainfield’s header came back off the bar.
It all began to go wrong on 72 minutes, when sub Kieran Fitzgerald levelled for Daventry with a header from Joe Curtis’ corner.
Nabil Shariff then fired the visitors ahead three minutes from time, leaving the Tulips down in 12th place.
Tulips chief Rayment said: “It’s not often – if ever – that I’m happy after a loss. But I’m pleased, I couldn’t have asked any more performance-wise.
“It was a bit of a smash-and-grab from them, but that can happen. We’ve certainly won games that we didn’t deserve to this season.
“It was probably one of the most entertaining games we’ve been involved in this year and it was just unfortunate that we lost.
“There is evidence of a much more collective effort from the team and that’s the benchmark I now expect.
“I do feel we had two good goals ruled out and we were unlucky to hit the woodwork twice. With a bit more luck we would have got the win that the performance deserved.”
Despite the result, the Tulips did turn in a much-improved performance – and only the excellent form of goalkeeper Ben Heath denied them at least a share of the spoils, writes Ray Tucker.
Spalding were quickly out of the starting blocks and only the crossbar denied Graham, who was making his first start after a switch from Peterborough Sports.
Skipper Stainfield pounced on the rebound, but his shot was brilliantly kept out by Heath.
Within minutes the lively Graham, who was quickly forming a good partnership with Josh Moreman, exploited a defensive error and fired the ball inches wide of the far post. With the pressure sustained, Heath somehow blocked another shot and Ricky Hill scrambled the ball away from a troubled goal area.
When Daventry did get through, the firm head of skipper Stainfield dealt with John Bukasa’s cross into the home area.
The Tulips, though, were putting some promising build-ups together and creating chances. Moreman ended one such movement with a low sizzler that missed the target by inches.
The breakthrough arrived on 42 minutes with Dan Lawlor – who had a good game in the midfield – finding Graham on the far side of the penalty area and he gave Heath no chance with a clinical finish.
Early in the second half Paul Walker connected with a Jamie Thurlbourne cross to force a super save from Heath. The keeper was in action again moments later as Stainfield rose above the defence to head another cross from Thurlbourne which on target.
The talismanic Stainfield did have the ball in the visitors net on 62 minutes, but referee Ian Dudley spotted an infringement and the goal was disallowed.
Daventry had made a triple substitution in the opening minutes of the second half and the changes of manager Darran Foster worked.
His side began to win a bit more possession than in the first period, but without seriously threatening Michael Duggan’s goal.
That was until the 72nd minute, when substitute Kieron Fitzgerald squeezed the ball in at the far post with virtually his first touch of the game, following a corner.
A similar situation three minutes from time saw ex-Stamford striker Shariff score what was to be the deciding goal in a game they never really looked like winning.
The defeat isn’t massively damaging for the Tulips as they are still only three points off a play-off place.
Tulips: Duggan, Walker, Jackson, Spafford, Stainfield, Murphy, Griffiths (Lockie 72), Lawlor, Graham, Thurlbourne (Sanders 88), Moreman.
MOTM: Graham.
Attendance: 119
