Spalding United boss Pat Rayment was singing the praises of his makeshift side as they swept to a 3-0 success at Yaxley on Thursday.
Andrew Tidswell got all three goals to take another important step in his recovery from a career-threatening condition.
The striker was on fire last season with more than 30 goals before his campaign was truncated at Christmas.
Rayment said: “The hat-trick will give him an unbelievable boost.
“We’re not talking about coming back from an injury, this was a condition that nearly finished his career.
“Andrew was buzzing last night after the game and it was great to see.”
With several players including skipper Michael Leary, right-back Peter Bore and keepers Michael Duggan and Nick Conroy unavailable, it was a side far from Rayment’s thinking for the forthcoming season.
But with Danny Hussey at centre-half, Tom Roberts in goal and a sub appearance by Marcus Ebdon, Rayment was still a happy man.
He said: “When we’ve played Yaxley in the UCL previously it has always been very problematic but in this match we played very well.
“We moved the ball around very well.
“It was good to see after how things went in the King’s Lynn match. We had a good high-tempo training session on Tuesday and took that into this game.”
Left-back Adam Jackson was back in blue after a brief stay at Holbeach United this summer.
A content Rayment said: “He carried on at a level that he was at last year.”
Tulips: Roberts; Hall, Hussey, Miller, Jackson; Kelly (Waumsley), Webb, Dongo (Ebdon), Thurlbourne (Edgas); Tidswell (Jones), Thomas.
The Tulips, who have just appointed Lewis Webb as player/coach, will still be under-strength for the trip to Deeping Rangers on Saturday (3pm).
