Spalding United 0 Ilkeston Town 0
Spalding United’s impressive recent form against the top teams in the Pitching In NPL Midlands Division continued on Saturday as they held table-topping Ilkeston Town to a battling 0-0 draw.
The Tulips, who have beaten fellow big-hitters Halesowen Town (1-0) and Belper Town (2-1) in recent weeks, held their own against an Ilkeston side that have scored more goals (83) than anybody else in the division.
Indeed, Brett Whaley’s side could have taken all three points on the day after creating a host of good chances on the second half.
But, the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field stalemate made it four clean sheets in six games for Spalding and moved them up to ninth in the table – just three points behind Sporting Khalsa in eighth with eight games left to play.
Boss Whaley was pleased to see his side once again match one of the league’s big guns and he praised the performance of his in-form players.
He said: “I think we produced a very good performance. It was a tough day with the conditions and the pitch, but we more than deserved a point.
“In the first half I felt we didn’t use the ball well enough against the wind.
“But in the second half we really kicked on and created some good chances – forcing a really good save from their keeper.
“What impressed me was how solid we looked and that we didn’t panic against the league leaders.
“We’ve proved that we can set up well against this kind of side and the lads did that again.
“When I first came here we folded under the first sign of pressure, but I’m pleased to see that kind of thing isn’t happening any more.
“The performances we’ve put in and the results we’ve picked up over the past six games, which looked a very hard run on paper, are very encouraging.
“We’re now within reach of eighth place have some positive momentum.
“Although we perhaps could have nicked a win, a draw was the right result.”
Tulips: Duggan, Floyd (Lynch 48), Bucci, Marshall, Stainfield, Cartwright, Seymour-Shove (Nassunculo 78), Koroma, Smith, Starkie, Edge (Macleod 65). Not used: Withers.
Attendance: 280.
