Bruno hopes his first defeat as Spalding United caretaker boss is just a blip

Spalding United 1 Yaxley 3

Caretaker boss Bruno Porfirio admitted that Spalding United fell well short of their recent standards in Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat against Yaxley.

The Tulips saw their three-game unbeaten run under Porfirio’s charge shattered by the Cuckoos at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, as they slipped to 11th in the Pitching In NPL Midlands Division.

Pierre Omombe-Epoyo (14) and ex-Holbeach captain Spencer Tinkler (27) fired Yaxley into a 2-0 first-half lead at the derby, only for Josh Hinds (32) to get the Tulips – who had Chris Ward sent off for an off-the-ball incident between the two away goals – back in the game before the break.

That’s the way it stayed up until 12 minutes from time, when Matt Sparrow sealed the points for the visitors.

The loss sends Spalding down to 11th in the table, some 12 points off the play-offs at the halfway stage of the season.

Porfirio felt the Tulips’ first half showing was “unacceptable” and insisted that the coaching staff let the players know about it.

“We’re looking at this at something of a one-off performance from the lads,” said the caretaker boss. “It wasn’t up to the standards we expect.

“We looked very lethargic from the start and the first 20 minutes in particular wasn’t good enough.

“They got a goal in that period from a corner, which we didn’t defend well at all.

“Then came the red card for Chris and their second goal, which we also didn’t defend very well.

“We still created chances even with ten men, though, and it was good to get a goal back before half time.

“We then told the lads what we thought of the performance and that they needed to improve, so we went on the attack.

“We created plenty and, if we’d started that way, I feel like the result would have been different.

“The third goal was a consequence of us going on the attack, but the truth is that we didn’t apply the basics that we’ve seen both on and off the ball so far this season and it cost us.”

Tulips: Stainsby, Price, Ward, Bucciero (Koroma 81), Stainfield, Cartwright, Starkie, Broccoli, Floyd (Bucci 25), Macleod, Hinds. Not used: Duggan, Opayinka, Olivant.

Attendance: 183.