Football

Jamie Clarke’s double fired Holbeach United back to the top of the UCL Premier Division as they saw off Eynesbury Rovers 2-1 on Saturday. Striker Clarke netted the opener on 31 minutes at Carter’s Park, only for Joey Nichols to level just before the break. That’s how it stayed until midway through the second period, when hitman Clarke struck again ...

By Andrew Tidswell (Spalding United player and Elite Sports Academy MD) Although the season has only really just begun, we at Spalding United find ourselves looking for solutions. With just a handful of league games gone in Evo-Stik League First Division South, it is not a time to panic – or get carried away. Many times we have seen promoted ...

Graham Drury has revealed that he’s been impressed with the standard of the United Counties League Premier Division so far this season. The joint Holbeach United boss, who had managed much higher up the non-league ladder with Boston United, Stamford and Corby Town in his previous jobs, reckons that the standard is higher than he initially expected. Having steered the ...

Pinchbeck United Sunday made the perfect start in their bid for county glory on Sunday as they crushed heavyweights Seven Seas AFC 9-1. Winners of the Lincs FA Sunday Cup in three of the past five years, Grimsby-based Seven Seas were billed as the toughest possible test for Tom Roberts’ side in the first round. That never really looked the ...

Thorney 4 Pinchbeck United 4 Gutted Pinchbeck United player/boss Ian Dunn couldn’t hide his disappointment after seeing his side surrender a 4-2 lead with ten minutes to go at Thorney on Saturday. Goals from Tom Gosling, 16-year-old debutant Steven Jucikas (2) and the returning Keith Gray had Pinchbeck in control of the ChromaSport Peterborugh and District League Premier Division clash, ...

  Tonight’s (Wednesday) scheduled Lincs FA Senior Trophy clash between Holbeach United and Boston Town has been postponed. The Tigers were due to welcome the Poachers to Carter’s Park for the area semi final, but it appears the visitors have asked for the game to be rearranged. Holbeach’s Twitter account @Holbeach_UtdFC claims that Boston are unable to raise a side, ...

Spalding United 2 Gresley 1 Marcus Ebdon admitted that he was “as happy as Larry” as Kern Miller’s powerful late header earned Spalding United an unlikely win over a talented Gresley side on Tuesday night. Andrew Tidswell had earlier fired the Tulips ahead in the Evo-Stik League First Division South clash with an absolute scorcher on six minutes, before Mitch ...

Holbeach United 2 Blackstones 0 Jake Duffy’s delightful first-half double ensured that Holbeach United made a winning start to their FA Vase campaign on Saturday. The midfielder scored with classy finishes on 36 and 44 minutes at Carter’s Park, but in truth they were the only memorable moments of an otherwise low-key clash. Neither side were helped by the wet conditions, ...

Sheffield FC 4 Spalding United 3 Bemused Pat Rayment lamented four uncharacteristic defensive gaffes as he saw his Spalding United side end up on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller at Sheffield FC on Saturday. Ashley Longstaff’s double (11 & 46) and a Reece White (48) put hosts Sheffield in a seemingly dominant position in the Evo-Stik League First ...

A sterling Spalding United comeback fell just short on Saturday as they were beaten 4-3 at Sheffield FC in Evo-Stik League First Division South. Ashley Longstaff’s double (11 & 46) and a Reece White (48) put hosts Sheffield in a seemingly dominant position at The BT Local Stadium, but Andrew Tidswell (54) hit back for Pat Rayment’s side. The Tulips ...

Graham Drury insists that Holbeach United are still aiming to go all the way in the FA Vase ahead of their second qualifying round date with UCL Division One side Blackstones at Carter’s Park on Saturday (3pm). The Tigers will have all of their big guns back available, with the likes of Lee Dube and Jamie Clarke rested for Tuesday’s ...

Pat Rayment wants to add more young blood to his Spalding United squad after releasing experienced duo Peter Bore and Ash Burbeary this week. The Tulips chief confirmed on Tuesday that forward Burbeary and right back Bore had been told they were no longer required at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field. Both started Saturday’s FA Cup loss at Norton ...

Monday saw another dazzling evening in the Spalding six-a-side Leisure League with plenty of eye-catching football on display. The opening Division One game of the night at Surfleet’s Glen Park saw pub bragging rights up for grabs as Brennans Sports and Punchbowl Tigers squared off. It wasn’t as close as most expected, with Brennans running out 4-0 winners – thanks ...

Pinchbeck United Sunday begin their quest for county glory this weekend – and they couldn’t have asked for a tougher tie. Tom Roberts’ side, who are bidding to become the first Spalding Sunday League side to win the Lincolnshire Sunday Cup, welcome the mighty Seven Seas AFC to Knight Street (10.30am). The Grimsby-based side have won the competition in three ...

St Neots Saints 2 Holbeach United 6 Jordan Keeble notched his first Holbeach United goal in an emphatic 6-2 UCL Knockout Cup win at St Neots Saints on Tuesday night. The talented young striker completed the scoring in injury time at Rowley Park in a game that co-boss Graham Drury admitted was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests. Ollie ...

Norton United 2 Spalding United 1 Deflated Spalding United boss Pat Rayment feels that his players let the club down as they wasted a “massive opportunity” in the FA Cup on Saturday. A late penalty from Norton’s Tom Fogg (85) sent the Tulips crashing out of the competition at the second qualifying round – the same stage they exited at ...

A hat-trick from Ian Bradbury fired ten-man Moulton Harrox to a morale-boosting 5-3 victory at Langtoft United in ChromaSport Peterborough League Premier Division on Saturday. Ashley Coddington and sub Macauley Grimwood also netted for Moulton, who had Ben Allen sent off at Manor Way. Having suffered a surprise 3-0 loss to Oakham United the previous week, the victory propels Paul ...

Spalding United’s exciting run in the FA Cup ended on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 at Evo-Stik League First Division South rivals Norton United. Glynn Blackhurst put the hosts ahead on 14 minutes in Staffordshire, but an own goal from Tom Winkle levelled matters ten minutes before the break. The tie looked set to go to a replay as ...

By Andrew Tidswell This week I wanted to share what it’s like being a full time coach and the ins and outs of the day-to-day schedules. For starters, as a sports lover, I would not change what I do for anything. I am very grateful to be able to do what I love and call it my job. The day-to-day ...

Norton United will be quaking in their boots after seeing Spalding United’s result on Tuesday night. That’s the view of Tulips supremo Pat Rayment, who is full of confidence ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup second round qualifying tie in Staffordshire (3pm). The above mentioned 6-0 romp at Loughborough Dynamo moved Spalding four points clear of 15th-placed Norton in the Evo-Stik ...