Spalding Ladies’ 2nd 10
Bourne Deeping 2nd 0
Goals: Karen Timby (4), Amy Naylor (2), Kate Amess, Lauren Harvey, Zoë Moore, Pippa Bembridge
A destructive first-half display saw Spalding put away eight unanswered goals against their local rivals. At one point it seemed that every touch turned to gold. The first goal went in after three minutes and within 15 minutes it was 4-0 as the visitors continually struggled to clear their lines.
As the goals flowed, Timby stepped up to complete a first-half hat-trick with a penalty stroke.
The visitors got more of a foothold in the second half and stemmed the flow. It was not until the last ten minutes that the outstanding Timby struck again for her fourth, with Naylor also finding her way past the young visiting goalkeeper.
Harleston Magpies 3 Spalding Men’s 1st 1
Goal: Aaron Scholes
Spalding made the long drive to Harleston on the Norfolk/Suffolk border with a depleted squad but spirits were high following recent performances. They started the game brightly and won a couple of penalty corners but were unable to convert. The game remained a scrappy affair with both goalkeepers on top. Magpies took the lead towards the end of the first half.
Magpies started the better team after the break and went 2-0 ahead before Spalding lost Stu Cunnington for a two-minute green card. That allowed the hosts to extend their lead from another penalty corner.
Spalding never gave up and continued to work hard and battle with tireless work from Joe Rogers and Tom Mayhew in the middle of the pitch. They were rewarded for their patience when a ball found Scholes on the right-hand side of the D. He cut in and rifled a shot into the net to score on his first-team debut.
Spalding Men’s 2nd 3
Cambridge South 4th 1
Goals: Darren Grooby (2), Charlie Smith
Spalding took the lead through Grooby but Cambridge South hit straight back. Smith scored on debut to put Spalding ahead at half time.
Grooby got his second from a short corner that was not cleared and secured the three points for the home team.
Harry Maplethorpe was man of the match for his excellent reading of the game and controlling the defensive line.
St Neots 3rd 2
Spalding Men’s 3rd 2
Goals: Matthew McManamon-Cookson, Callum Fravigar
Neither team could create many chances on a wet afternoon until 15 minutes in when Spalding won a penalty corner and McManamon-Cookson scored a rebound after a good save from the goalkeeper. Ten minutes later, Fravigar scored a similar goal from a penalty corner to make it 2-0 at half time.
St Neots started to come into the game more and got their reward, which seemed to knock Spalding’s confidence. St Neots equalised from a deflected shot, which Spalding contested to no avail. With ten minutes left, Spalding piled on the pressure to get the winning goal but the game ended level.
Spalding Men’s 4th 0
St Neots 4th 2
Spalding were looking to avenge a narrow 1-0 loss from the previous encounter and started brightly, creating some good chances but could not convert them.
As the half wore on, St Neots grew more into the game and took the lead from a short corner.
The home side rolled up their sleeves and worked hard in the second period and only stunning goalkeeping prevented them from converting their chances. A sucker punch came ten minutes from the end when St Neots scored another short corner.
Spalding did well overall with lots of positive points and on another day (and against a different goalkeeper!) the points would have been theirs.
