Coalville Town 2
Spalding United 1
Misfiring Spalding United were once again wasteful in front of goal as they were handed a first-ever Evo-Stik NPL Division One South defeat by Coalville Town on Saturday.
Despite dominating the second half and taking an early lead, the Tulips saw their five-game unbeaten streak ended by their play-off rivals at a blustery Owen Street.
In six previous meetings since July 2014, the Tulips had registered five victories, including two this season (one in the FA Cup).
If they could have exploited their second half efforts on Saturday, that proud record could easily have been extended.
Sub Tom Waumsley smashed Spalding ahead on 22 minutes, but strikes from Jake Woolley (26) and Alex Troke (32) turned the game on its head before half time.
Tulips’ chief Marcus Ebdon has been critical of the lack of cutting edge shown by his promotion-chasing side in recent weeks – and he once again felt the result didn’t reflect the balance of play.
He said: “I truly believe that we deserved at least to draw after dominating the second half play.
“But we have got to switch ourselves on and put in that quality of effort for a full 90 minutes.
“When we do that we will win more games and keep in touch with the play-off situation.”
The Tulips suffered an early set-back to the game when new signing James Tricks, on his first start for the team since joining from Wellingborough Town just a week earlier, received a blow to his face after just 15 minutes and had to be taken to hospital with suspected damage to an eye socket.
He was replaced by Waumsley – and within a few minutes last season’s leading scorer had fired the team into the lead.
Home keeper Sean Bowles made a complete hash of an attempted clearance outside the area and Waumsley pounced to drive the ball home from fully 25 yards.
Dan Banister, busy as ever in the midfield, also saw an early effort from an Ellis Humble free kick deflected wide for a corner.
But the Tulips, battling in the face of a strong blustery wind, were soon under pressure with Troke breaking through to shoot into the side netting and Liam Walshe’s wind-assisted effort from 30 yards dipping just over Michael Duggan’s cross bar.
The Tulips’ keeper then thwarted the home team with a super save at the foot of the post.
However, Coalville levelled the scores on 26 minutes. Central defender Humble conceded a free kick just outside the penalty area and Nat Watson’s kick found its way to an unmarked Woolley at the far post for a free shy at goal.
Six minutes later it was 2-1 to the hosts as Troke took advantage of some ball juggling in the area to fire the Ravens into the lead.
To their credit, the Tulips battled back and only a firm punched clearance by keeper Bowles denied man-of-the-match Nathan Stainfield on the stroke of half time.
The second period saw the Tulips fully in control, but wasteful in striking areas.
Banister went close on a couple of occasions, while Waumsley’s glancing header from a Dan Lawler free kick was agonisingly inches wide of a post.
Ebdon’s last throw of the dice saw talented teenager Jonny Lockie jump off the bench – and he proved a breath of fresh air for the final 20 minutes with some speedy running and neat crosses from the right side.
But a deserved equalising goal did not materialise.
Tulips: Duggan, Walker, Jackson, Humble, Stainfield, Lawlor, Banister, Murphy, Sanders (Lockie 70), Graham, Tricks (Waumsley 15). Not used: Lee.
MOTM: Stainfield.
Attendance: 130.
