The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding United 1 Bedworth United 1
A second-half Ben Starkie strike earned Spalding United a 1-1 draw with Bedworth United on Saturday – and made it four points from two games for caretaker boss Bruno Porfirio.
The Tulips fell behind on 33 minutes at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field when Ryan Nesbitt rounded keeper Harry Fisk and netted on a day when conditions were awful due to storm Arwen.
But Starkie raced clear on the left four minutes into the second period to slot home his first goal since joining Spalding a few weeks ago.
The draw leaves the Tulips, who are unbeaten since the departure of former manager Gaby Zakuani, eight in the Pitching In NPL Midlands Division table and ten points off the play-off positions.
It was always going to be a close game, given only two points separated the teams prior to kick-off.
With the visitors having an ample wind behind them, they were the dominant force in the first half and forced Fisk into a number of saves.
He was beaten when Nesbitt took advantage of a long ball forward to nip past Fisk and score at the second attempt.
With Spalding having the wind at their backs in the second half, they wasted little time levelling when Ollie Price’s fine ball picked out Starkie and he slotted home superbly at the back post.
Neither side did enough to win it after that, but Fisk did save superbly from substitute Rhys Hilton late on.
Tulips: Fisk, Price (Floyd), Ward, Bucciero, Stainfield, Cartwright, Bucci (Olivant), Broccoli, Hinds (Opayinka), Macleod, Starkie. Subs not used: Baker, Robinson.
