Spalding United eased into the last four of the Lincs FA Senior Cup with a routine 4-0 victory over a youthful Lincoln City side on Friday night.
Goals from Jack Fixter (2), Jonny Lockie (4), Tom Siddons (64) and George Zuerner (84) earned the Tulips an emphatic win at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field – and booked a semi-final showdown with Stamford on Thursday night.
Although the Red Imps sent a youth team to take on Spalding, boss Chris Rawlinson was still very pleased to see off a professional side.
And he feels that everything is moving in the right direction for his side at this stage of pre-season.
Rawlinson said: “Admittedly it was a very young side that Lincoln sent to play us.
“But you know that any professional side is going to be able to send a strong side.
“It was 2-0 very early on – and if truth be told – it perhaps should have been even more by half time.
“I said it in the build-up, but this was a very different game than we’ll play throughout the rest of the season.
“We’re trying to create something of an identity here and I do think things are heading in the right direction.
“It’s pre-season and I’ll not get carried away by the results. But we’re creating a lot more chances than we managed last season and everything I saw against Lincoln was very encouraging.
“I thought we looked solid at the back and the two young strikers – Jonny Lockie and Luke White – both did very well too. All in all, I have to be very happy with the result and performance at this stage of pre-season.”
Fixter opened the scoring from a Danny Brooks corner early on, finishing off from close range.
Lockie then latched onto a loose pass and prodded the ball past the on-rushing Matty White to put Spalding two goals to the good.
Jordan Lemon, back for a second spell at the Sir Halley, rattled the woodwork as the Tulips searched for a third before the half-time whistle.
After the break the result never looked in doubt – and the hosts duly added a third when sub Siddons swept home ten minutes after jumping off the bench.
Zuerner, who showed his eye for goal while at Holbeach United last season, rounded off the rout six minutes from time when he nodded another Brooks corner home following a flick on from Kern Miller.
The win is Spalding’s first at home since December – and is also the first cup victory they’ve managed since the 2016/17 season.
Tulips: Duggan, Fixter (King 46), Spafford (Zuerner 29), Miller, Humble, Hugo, Moyses, Brooks, Lemon, Lockie (Siddons 54), White (Chipamaunga 64). Not used: Christopher.
Attendance: 146.
