The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding United’s lead at the top of the Northern Premier League Midlands Division table was cut to two points after they let slip a two-goal lead at Gresley Rovers on Tuesday.
The Tulips had bounced back from their first defeat of the campaign with a 2-1 win against Boldmere St Michaels on Saturday and looked set to add three more points when they surged into a 2-0 lead at Gresley inside 20 minutes.
However, the hosts refused to bow and hit back with two goals to snatch a share of the points.
James Clifton’s long throw was headed on for Sam Cartwright to power Spalding ahead after 14 minutes and five minutes later a cross was headed back across goal by Glenn Walker and Tyler Winters finished well.
However, Chris Jones pulled one back on the half-hour and a mix-up at the back two minutes before the break allowed Kieran O’Connell to equalise. No more goals were added after the break, despite the introduction of new signing Miguel Ngwa, the former Northampton Town player.
Saturday had seen Spalding bide their time before stepping up a gear.
Jordan Graham hit the bar in the first half and Joe Curtis, Walker and Winters all went close to opening the scoring in a goalless first half.
It took less than a minute of the second half for the Tulips to go ahead when Graham turned home Lewis Hilliard’s free-kick.
The hosts gained some breathing space with 14 minutes to go when substitute Wilson Carvalho converted Winters’ cross. Boldmere grabbed a last-gasp consolation through Lewis Allison.
Man of the match was Nathan Stainfield and manager Elliot Sandy said: “After the defeat last week I wanted to see a reaction and I believe I got that but, at the same time, it was all about the three points.
“At times we played some good stuff but we had to grind it out.
“We went 2-0 up and, to be honest, we became a bit casual, which was how we ended up conceding a goal and that was disappointing because Nathan Stainfield’s performance was fantastic.
“It was a real skipper’s performance and he deserved his clean sheet.
Sandy said patience had been key, adding: “It was a tough game and Boldmere are in a bit of a false position but we controlled it and had two stone-wall penalties claims that didn’t go our way.
“I told the lads at half-time to keep doing the same things and keep going and we would get the goals, which did happen.
“We made a few changes and the players who came in really showed that we’ve got a good squad. They showed that they’ve got the hunger to put their stamp on a starting place. It pushes everyone in the squad because no-one has a God-given right to be starting games.”
Tulips v Boldmere: Heath, Draper, Warburton (Morley), Barker, Stainfield, Cartwright, Winters, Curtis (Snedden), Graham (Carvalho), Hilliard, Walker. Sub: Sandy.
Attendance: 426.
Tulips at Gresley: Heath, Draper, Morley, Barker, Stainfield, Cartwright (Ngwa), Winters, Clifton, Graham (Hilliard), Sneddon, Walker. Subs: Curtis, Wysocki, Warburton.
Attendance: 294.
