The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Pat Rayment is confident that Spalding United will keep their fine run of form going in the FA Trophy on Saturday.
Having secured their first Evo-Stik League First Division South away win of the season at Daventry Town on Tuesday night, the Tulips now turn their attention to an FA Trophy Preliminary Round clash at league rivals Newcastle Town (3pm).
Newcastle are down in 15th having won four and lost four of their opening nine games, but did beat Spalding twice last season en-route to finishing third.
A victory would bank the Tulips £2,500 in prize money – and Rayment is confident his side will progress after making plenty of changes to his squad since their two’s last meeting.
He added: “I’m happy enough with the draw. Last year we went to Newcastle Town with a group of players that didn’t really have enough mobility and we lost 3-1.
“That isn’t the case now – and we’re very much looking forward to the tie.
“We’ve got a team now that, home or away, are more than capable of matching any opposition in this league.
“The prize money in the FA Trophy is substantial, we’ll be taking it seriously.”
- Holbeach United are in cup action again this weekend – but it’s unlikely they’ll be making any national headlines.
The Tigers, who put themselves on the footballing map after last week’s FA Cup heroics against Worcester City, host Bugbrooke St Michaels in the UCL KO Cup at Carter’s Park (3pm).
Darren Jarvis’ side, who are seventh in the Premier Division, are hot favourites to progress against a Bugrbooks side that are down in 17th in Division One.
We’ll have live updates from that game on Twitter via sports editor Andrew Clucas (@Andrew_Clucas).
Other Saturday fixtures
ChromaSport UCL (3pm)
Premier Division: Harborough Town v Boston Town; Huntingdon Town v Newport Pagnell Town; Leicester Nirvana v Yaxley; Wisbech Town v Desborough Town.
ChromaSport Peterborough League (selected, 2pm)
Premier Division: Holbeach United Res v Riverside; Langtoft United v Whittlesey Ath; Moulton Harrox v Thorney; Netherton United v Crowland Town.
Division One: Baston v Moulton Harrox Res; Long Sutton Athletic v Oundle Town; Spalding United Res v Netherton Utd Res; Wittering v Sutton Bridge United.
Division Two: Peterborough PL Utd v Crowland Town Res; Pinchbeck Utd Res v Parkway Eagles.
Division Three: Tydd St Mary v Thorpe Wood Rangers.
Division Four: Holbeach Bank v FC Peterborough; Netherton United B v Tydd St Mary Res; Parkside v Long Sutton Ath Res; Sutton Bridge United Res v Warboys Town Reserves.
Boston League (selected, 2.30pm unless stated)
Division Three: Old Dons Reserves v Leverton Reserves.
Target Newspapers Challenge Cup (all 2pm): Spalding Harriers v Old Dons; Sutterton v Holbeach Bank.
Sunday fixtures
Spalding Sunday League (10.30am): Jubilee v Mulberry; Leisure League v Punchbowl Panthers.
Lincs Sunday Cup (10.30am): FC Genes v Swineshead Institute Sun; Pinchbeck Utd Sun v Long Bennington; South Holland United v Gatehouse; Sutton Bridge Sunday v Hykeham Memorial; The Green Man Ropsley v Punchbowl Tigers.
King’s Lynn Sunday League (10.30am)
Division One: Sutton SJ v England’s Hope.
Division Two: Tydd St Mary v Shouldham.
