Mens’ third hockey are only weekend winners

St Neots 1st 3
Spalding Ladies’ 1st 1
It was Spalding who took the lead in the 22nd minute when Harriet Mowbray put the ball away.
This was as good as it got for the visitors who took their 1-0 lead into the break.
Spalding saw the game slip away, the equaliser coming five minutes into the second half before they conceded again ten minutes later while down to ten players.
Despite pushing to get something out of the game, it was not to be, and St Neots put away their third goal on the stroke of full time.

Spalding Ladies’ 1st 1

Cambridge City 3rd 4
Playing in their second game of the weekend, Spalding faced Cambridge City 3s in a re-arranged fixture.
The game didn’t start well when they conceded after five minutes. This didn’t deter Spalding who immediately fought back with a flurry of attacks and through balls into the D. Three more goals followed for Cambridge who exerted their dominance on the final part on the first half.
Spalding’s goal came from an unexpected source, as Sophie Gleave finished expertly past the visiting keeper.

Spalding Ladies’ 2nd 1
Pelicans 1
Spalding converted an early opportunity from a goalmouth scramble with Amy Naylor beating the resilient keeper and securing a goal.
A great ball through to Zoe Moore missed the corner post by millimetres in the first ten minutes of the second half. Unfortunately, on the counter attack a penalty corner was given against Spalding and Pelicans cracked in an equaliser.
Spalding had to dig deep as Pelicans were determined to get ahead but two fantastic goal line saves from Sam Maltby and a slide out from keeper Freya Lee kept them at bay.

Newmarket 2nd 4
Spalding Ladies’ 3rd 2
It took Spalding a few minutes to settle but once they did there was some excellent passing and attacking forwards by AJ Taplin and Sam Foston.
Newmarket suddenly found an extra burst with ten minutes to go in the second half scoring from a short corner and two from open play.
When the whistle blew, the team charged forward with Taplin scoring.
Close to the end, Sophie Wilson slotted the ball into the goal.

Spalding Men’s 1st 1

Chelmsford 1st 4
The pace was fast from the outset with the opposition’s split pitch tactics and aerials managed well by the home side.
The away side took the early lead from a converted penalty corner after 12 minutes.
Spalding pressed hard and were rewarded with an expertly finished penalty corner by Stu Cunnington to level the game. However, a lapse in concentration saw an intercepted hit out converted into a second goal for Chelmsford.
Spalding were led out in the second half by George Halgarth, taking the captain’s armband on his last game for Spalding as he sets off travelling around Asia.
The squad worked hard and were rewarded with a penalty corner which was fired at the goal and beat the keeper, only for the post to take the hit and save the opposition from going all square.
This tone continued and Spalding switched up the offensive, however some incredulous decisions saw frustration and confusion on both sides, and with Chelmsford’s greater squad numbers and Spalding down to ten men for 12 minutes, two goals from open play saw the game slip from the home side.
Cambridge South 3rd 1 Spalding Men’s 2nd 1
The game started with Spalding seeing a lot of the ball and, but for the Cambridge keeper making three good saves, Spalding could count themselves unlucky not to take the lead.
Cambridge started to feature in the game and went ahead against the run of play catching the Spalding team napping.
Spalding continued on the front foot and got their reward after Darren Grooby slotted home a neat reverse strike from the top of the D.
Both teams created chances in the second half but neither team found the net.

Spalding Men’s 3rd 5
St Neots 2nd 1
Spalding started the better team with Tom Pilgrim scoring neatly on his reverse within the first five minutes of the game.
St Neots scored from one counter to make it 1-1 at half time.
Spalding continued the pressure into the second half but struggled to get the finishing touch, before 15 minutes into second half, Ben Scholes played a shot to the back post for Willem Borst to tap it in.
Spalding piled the pressure on with quick successive goals by Harry Walsh and Adolfo Chantre.
Then Glenn Richardson sealed it with powerful shot into the net.

Long Sutton 3rd 1
Spalding Men’s 4th 0