Stainfield ruled out as stuttering Spalding United bid to rediscover their best form

Spalding United are missing a number of key men as they bid to kick-start their season with two festive wins in the Pitching In NPL Midlands Division.

The Tulips, who are now 12th in the division and 15 points off the play-offs after last Saturday’s 3-2 loss at Loughborough Dynamo, face two very different tests after Christmas.

First up is a home clash against seventh-placed Carlton Town on Monday (December 27, 3pm), before a trip to 19th-placed Histon on New Year’s Day (also 3pm).

The fixtures will serve as Brett Whaley’s first games as manager following his switch from Wisbech Town.

He is without the influential Nathan Stainfield, who has contracted COVID-19. Left-back James Hugo is also out injured, while fellow full-back Tom Ward is banned and star man Marcus Maddison is a long-term absentee.

There is some good news for the Tulips, however, with defender Sam Cartwright and midfielder Dan Bucciero set to return.

Bruno Porfirio, was was caretaker manager and is working alongside Whaley, is hoping that his side can play like they did in the second half at Loughborough and is targeting maximum points from the two games.

“Carlton is the harder game on paper,” said the Portuguese. “But we’ve got this strange record of doing better against the stronger sides.

“They are flying and are in the play-off picture, but we need to step up and show a good performance.

“Histon is the kind of fixture we’ve struggled in this season. But it’s time we changed that record.

“We need to go there and give them no chance at all from the start.

“I want to see us dominant with and without the ball, like we were in the second half at Loughborough.

“If we do that, we should win the game.”

Porfirio, who oversaw five games as caretaker boss, picked up a win, two draws and two defeats in the job.