The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Two Dan Needham penalties helped keep Spalding 1st flying high in East League Premier B.
He slotted home his first flick against Ipswich and East Suffolk after just five minutes, soon followed by a thunderous Rob Dalton drive for 2-0.
Spalding played the ball about with confidence and with Brendan Morris, Ashley Barker and Sam Howitt commanding in defence, another Needham penalty early in the second half effectively sealed the points.
Stuart Cunnington returned to his goalscoring ways with a couple of clinical strikes for 5-0. The visitors grabbed a late consolation goal.
Struggling Long Sutton 1st only went down to leaders Letchworth by the odd goal in five.
After slipping 1-0 behind, after a Letchworth short corner some excellent work from Whatling found Shore who made the pass of the season, flighting the ball beautifully over the defence to Danny Sisson who brilliantly and calmly took it down, rounded the keeper and slotted home.
Letchworth restored their lead before the break and later went 3-1 up.
A lovely reverse stick effort by Sisson gave Sutton a shout but their press for an equaliser proved fruitless.
Long Sutton 2nd knew they had a tough task on their hands with a trip to Bourne/Deeping 2nd in Division 3NW. And so it proved with a 5-0 defeat.
Meanwhile, Spalding 2nd went two points clear at the top of Division 4NW with a 5-3 defeat of Cambridge City 5th.
In a really impressive performance from a rapidly improving side Glenn Richardson and Sam Sly both grabbed doubles to add to a Glenn Perkins short-corner goal.
It was a great weekend for Spalding 2nd – 24 hours later they earned a place in round two of the Plate.
Darren Grooby netted the winning penalty flick after the tie with Newark had ended 5-5.
Spalding 3rd dropped to third place in Division 4NW after a 3-0 defeat at Leadenham 1st.
Spalding had good spells in both halves but it was one of those days when the ball would not go in.
Spalding 4th can take credit from a 2-0 Division 5NW defeat to high-flying Cambridge City 6th.
Lawrence Smith-Hughes was dominant in midfield, but an injury to the previous week’s five-goal player Stuart Perkins blunted the home attack. Cambridge grabbed a goal in each half.
Spalding 5th returned from a cold and blowy Alford 2nd pitch with three points.
They remain third in Division 6NW(N) after a 3-1 win, despite having eight regular players unavailable.
Andy Barlow swept home after Willem Borst’s good run and pass for 1-0 and Cameron Ibrahim and Jack Martin combined well for Alex Cunnington to double the lead.
Oscar Rudd assisted Martin for 3-0 before a late Alford goal.
In the same division, three second-half goals saw Long Sutton 3rd to victory against Wisbech 4th.
James Baker, Matt Portass and Josh Baker hit the backboard.
