By RAY TUCKER
Markse United 1
Spalding United 1
Neal Spafford returned to action after a two-week break to turn in a man-of-the-match performance and score the goal which earned Spalding United a crucial point in their quest for Evo-Stik League East Division safety on Saturday.
The 1-1 draw gained at mid-table Marske United gave the Tulips a three-point advantage over relegation rivals Carlton Town and a five-point advantage over basement side Gresley ahead of Easter Monday’s games.
On one of the hottest days of the year – and after spending three-hours travelling to the far east region of North Riding in Yorkshire – Spalding were fully up for the task of avenging the 2-0 defeat suffered by the Seasiders in the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field reverse way back in September.
More importantly, they needed to secure valuable points to stay up.
In a closely-contested game, the Tulips just shaded the first half, despite losing Archie Moyses to injury early on, but went in at the break a goal down.
That was scored on 43 minutes when, in a goalmouth melee, an attempted clearance deflected from the body of Curtis Round just inside Michael Duggan’s right-hand post.
But the Tulips had been within inches of gaining a sixth-minute advantage when Kegan Everington’s long ball picked out Isaac Cooper dashing down the left wing.
He breezed past his marker and unleashed a shot from just outside the area, only to see the ball fly fractionally wide of the far post.
Shortly afterwards the Tulips thought they were denied a goal when keeper Robert Dean appeared to claw back Leon Mettam’s shot back from over the line.
Tulips’ keeper Duggan then did his bit to hold the home attackers at bay with a couple of headed clearances.
To concede a goal so close to the interval was a blow, but parity was soon to be restored.
The home team had Glen Butterworth sent off for a lunging tackle on Spafford in the 50th minute but the defender picked himself up and six minutes later was on the end of Taron Hare’s long throw to slot the ball home at the far post.
Play was continually from end-to-end from then on, but with the better goal attempts coming from the Tulips.
Indeed, only a spectacular save from keeper Dean to beat out George Zuerner’s stinging shot denied the visitors all three points in the closing stages.
Tulips: Duggan, Hare, Hugo, Cullingworth, Misambo, Spafford, Moyses (Floyd 7), Everington, Mettam (White 71), Zuerner (Brownell 85), Cooper.
MOTM: Neal Spafford.
Attendance: 259
