The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding United are offering free entry for under 16s this Saturday for what could be a big game in the Pitching In Northern Premier Midlands Division title race.
The Tulips were beaten 2-1 at mid-table Bedworth United last Saturday to fall further behind leaders Harborough Town.
It means they’re now four points back from Harborough who also have a game in hand.
It’s important to get back to winning ways this weekend, but they face a tough ask against a Loughborough Dynamo side who have won four in a row to move into the play offs and within two points of Spalding.
The Tulips found themselves 2-0 down early on against Bedworth and though they pulled a goal back through Jame Clifton, but couldn’t deliver.
Manager Elliot Sandy said: “We cannot perform the first 45 minutes like we did.
“I said to the boys, all along in pre-season to now, I don’t question the ability and quality we have.
“It’s all down to attitude and how you’re going to apply yourselves.
“I don’t know if we turned up thinking Bedworth aren’t in good form and we’ll just roll them over.
“They’ve a lot of top players in their team and their position and their form isn’t them.
“They should be doing better themselves.
“In those first 45 minutes we gave away two goals and looked all over the place.
“We made changes early and to be fair I got the reaction I wanted.
“We were on top for the whole of the second half though they didn’t need to push forward to much.
“We got the goal and in my opinion we had chances in the second half to get something, but we were lacking that bit of quality throughout.
“We’ve now a tough run in, 11-odd games.
“The title looks in Harborough’s hands now so we’ve got to concentrate on ourselves and finish as strong as possible.
“If we finish the league as high up as possible, then who knows what can happen.
“We won’t be giving up on it and will be giving everything.
“We’ve a tough game coming up at home and we want all the fans to turn up and support us.
“They’ve been fantastic all season and we had another good following in Bedworth.
“They should stick with us and we’ll be better next week.”
Two goals in eight minutes decided the game for Bedworth.
Dan Sweeney’s lob going just wide midway through the half was as good as it got for Spalding in the opening 45 minutes.
Bedworth took the lead on 31 minutes as Desean Martin was allowed a free header to nod home.
It was then 2-0 after 39 minutes with Leo Stone netting.
James Clifton’s brilliant direct free kick in the 65th minute halved the deficit but Spalding were unable to find a leveller and slipped to a fifth defeat of the season.
Tulips: Breeden, Draper, O’Sullivan, Walker, Stainfield, Freeman, Barker, Sherif, Sweeney, Bennett, Hilliard. Subs: Warburton, Curtis, Clifton, Graham, Sandy.
Attendance: 239
