Spalding United 1
Stocksbridge Park Steels 1
Pat Rayment bemoaned Stocksbridge’s “negative approach” as his play-off chasing Spalding United side were held to a draw on Saturday.
The Tulips needed an 87th minute strike from Matt Nolan to rescue a point at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, having fallen behind to Ryan Laight’s first-half volley (35).
Spalding are leapfrogged by Sutton Coldfield Town in the table as a result, while they are now level on points with both Gresley (sixth) and Stafford Rangers (seventh) in fifth ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Tividale (7.45pm).
Above them, Mickleover Sports clinched the title with a 3-2 win at Lincoln United, while both Leek Town and Newcastle Town won to seal their places in the play-offs.
While Rayment admitted that his side probably need maximum points from their final two games at Tividale and Romulus (Saturday, 3pm) to reach the play-offs, he was disappointed with Steels’ ‘Jose Mourinho-like tactics’ and branded the game “terrible”.
“I’ll be honest, I was a bit disappointed with their negative approach,” barked the Tulips chief. “It was a Jose Mourinho-style performance from them after going ahead – and by a team that had nothing to play for.
“Each to their own, but I’ve not got that kind of tactical approach in my locker.
“If I’m being honest, it was a terrible game of football. Do I think we got out of jail? Not really. It was a late goal, but it was a game neither side did enough to win. I don’t think either keeper had much to do.
“The way things are, I think we’ll need to win our last two games now. Nothing has really changed, we’ve still got our destiny in our own hands.”
Rayment wasn’t wrong with his assessment – the entertainment value for the 204 fans at the Sir Halley for Spalding’s final home game of the campaign was pretty poor.
It took the best part of ten minutes for either side to muster an effort on target, with Tom Waumsley seeing his near-post header easily saved by Sam Andrew.
Mitch Griffiths then launched a speculative 25-yarder just off target, before Waumsley blazed a great opportunity over the bar after getting in one-on-one.
Stocksbridge, who always looked dangerous from set pieces, then stunned the home crowd when Laight buried a close-range volley from a corner on the left. It was their first real chance – and gave them something to hang onto.
Midfield maestro Chris Hall sent a fierce drive wide from just outside the box as Spalding attempted to hit back – but they were unable to haul themselves level by half time.
Early in the second period Nolan blew a decent chance to level when he volleyed a Jack McGovern over from just inside the six-yard box.
Then came a few frustrating moments, with almighty scrambles in the Steels box just not falling for the hosts. By this stage, the visitors were pretty much camped in their own half – but to their credit, they defended superbly.
You could sense the frustrating building among the Spalding players, with Waumsley slicing a presentable opening wide and sub Lee Beeson fizzing an excellent ball across the face of the area which nobody could benefit from.
That man Beeson then forced a smart save from the feet of Andrew, before delivering the corner that led to a last-gasp leveller.
His deep cross from the right found the head of fellow substitute Avelino Vieira, who headed an effort towards the bottom corner – only for Nolan to stick out a foot and divert the ball into the net.
The point doesn’t really change Spalding’s task, as they’ll now have to win their final two games to clinch a place in the end-of-season play-offs.
They’ll have to do without defensive lynchpin Nathan Stainfield for those key games, though. The central defender – dubbed the “best in the league” by Rayment, is out for the season with a shoulder problem.
Tulips: Duggan, Banister, Jackson (Vieira 81), Stevens, Leary, Webb (Beeson 64), Hall, Waumsley, Nolan, McGovern (J Thurlbourne 67). Not used: G Stainfield, Pycock.
MOTM: Adam Jackson
Attendance: 204
