The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
The Sir Halley Stewart hosts a meeting of the early pace-setters in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midland Division this Saturday as leaders Spalding United host Bedworth United.
The pair are both on 16 points and will be looking for an early season statement win.
The Tulips, who have played a game less, lost their perfect record on Tuesday but still go into the game with an unbeaten run.
That’s after they came from 1-0 down early on Tuesday night to draw 2-2 with Anstey Nomads and move to the top of the table.
Spalding fans will be hoping for more like Saturday’s home showing where they scored five goals in a 6-1 demolition of Shepshed Dynamo.
“It’s nice to be top albeit very early,” manager Elliot Sandy told the club’s social media channels. “We’ve overtaken Bedworth and they’ll fancy their chances against us on Saturday.
“But this is where we need to recover, take the many positives against Anstey and work on the things we need to sharpen up such as how we start games and how we’re conceding sloppy goals.”
A sluggish start left the Tulips behind in the fourth minute on Tuesday night, Corey Armeni scoring in the fourth minute to reward the home side’s bright start.
But the response from Spalding was instant as they immediately won a corner that James Clifton powered into the net.
Clifton went close not long after before the Tulips took the lead in the 36th minute from the penalty spot
Sandy was left angry that his side were caught cold straight after the re-start again as within two minute Nyle Blake had made it 2-2.
Spalding pushed for a winner but the closest they came was when Nathan Stainfield’s header came back off the post.
“It was a real tough game and Anstey are flying to be fair to them,” Sandy said. “They came out the blocks from minute one.
“I’ve been saying about slow starts and even though we scored quite early against Shepshed, we were off the pace and that was the same.
“Against Anstey we’ve been done twice and the reactions in the box weren’t good enough.
“Saying that, the character and reactions of the team to equalise straight away, that’s what we’re about.
“Anstey worked their socks off and we had to match that.
“Some of the football we played in the final third they couldn’t live with, but we didn’t do it enough.
“It’s a tough place to come but we take a point.”
For the Bedworth match, Spalding will be hoping for another bumper crowd after an impressive 330 watched them blitz Shepshed Dynamo in the first half last Saturday.
Clifton started the rout in the fourth minute after being put through by William Carvalho.
Glen Walker scored the second in the 13th minute, pouncing on a ball into the box, before three minutes later Lewis Hilliard sent Jordan Graham through and he made no mistake for 3-0.
Two goals in the three minutes before the break sealed the win early doos.
Firstly Draper’s fine low shot gave the Shepshed keeper no chance, before good link up play between Graham and Barker ended with the latter deftly finishing.
Dynamo pulled one back through James Sneddon’s penalty, but Stainfield rounded off the win in injury time, heading home a corner.
Tulips v Anstey: Breedon, Draper, Warburton, Barker, Stainfield, Cartwright, Carvalho, Clifton, Graham, Hilliard, Walker. Subs Sandy, Taylor, Curtis, Morley.
Attendance: 269.
Tulips v Shepshed: Breedon, Draper, Warburton, Barker, Stainfield, Cartwright, Carvalho, Clifton, Graham, Hilliard, Walker. Subs Sandy, Taylor, Curtis, Morley, Freeman.
Attendance: 330.
