One of Spalding United’s new signings hailed the 1-0 victory at high flying Stratford Town as a start of a new era at the club.
There were several recent acquisitions on show, including a debut for centre back Liam Moore who ten years ago this month was a Premier League starter for Leicester City.
The 31-year-old former Reading captain, who retired from professional football in the summer after struggling with injuries, joined fellow new signing Nathan Fox at the heart of a solid Tulips defence on Saturday.
The 1-0 win came courtesy of substitute Joseph Nyahwema’s 74th minute strike.
“It’s the start of a new era at Spalding and personally, I’m excited,” said Daniel Lawlor on X, one of three of boss Jimmy Dean’s new signings that had previously helped his Peterborough Sports to promotion from the same level Spalding are now at.
“They were six unbeaten, two points off the top of the table and in the play offs and we’ve coming away with a 1-0 win,” said Dean. “We’d have snapped your hand off for that result before kick off.
“We had a lot better structure too and the distances between us were a lot better.
“There are three good players come into the side, but it’s still new players thrown together for the first time last Thursday night at training, so I’m delighted.
“There’s only growth coming for us now.
“We’ve been looking to strengthen in specific positions and we’ve done that now.
“We’ve players in who know what I want and those who can drive my standards, shape and ethics.
“Stratford impressed me but we’ve got players who can stretch the game, defenders who can defend the box and midfielders who can keep the ball which gives you a chance of winning these close games.
“It’s been a transitional couple of months with winning seven, drawing three and losing three, which personally, I think is outstanding given the chances.
“Now we need to start climbing the table.”
There was a lively opening to the game that saw chances come and go at either end.
Lewis Hilliard and another new signing in Dion Sembie-Feris went closest for the Tulips.
The game settled into a midfield battle for a lengthy spell, but it was Spalding who grabbed the winner with 15 minutes left.
Sembie-Feris put substitute Nyahwema through and he finished well for a crucial goal.
The defence held out comfortably enough in the final stages to earn Spalding three points.
Dean reserved most praise for one of the players he inherited when he replaced Elliot Sandy as manager, full back Glen Walker.
“I thought he was probably our man of the match,” Dean said. “He was outstanding.”
The win lifted Spalding to 15th in the table and three points and places above the Southern League Premier Central relegation zone.
The team just in that place, Bishop’s Stortford are the visitors to the Sir Halley Stewart this Saturday, (November 16).
Spalding are looking to rise up the table and Dean then paid tribute to the club’s chair Andrew Killingsworth.
“He knew what I came in to but he’s backed us and been patient,” continued Dean. “He’ll want to see us climb the league.
“The first challenge is to make sure we don’t get relegated and once we do that then we can start looking up.”
Tulips: Breedon, Brown, Fox, Moore, Walker, Lawlor, Sembie-Feris, Hilliard, Cybulski, Leshabela, Tomlinson. Subs Ngandu, Chettle, Cartwright, Freeman, Nyahwema.
Attendance: 779
