Whaley pleased with Spalding United’s progress after impressive victory at Halesowen Town

Halesowen Town 0 Spalding United 1

A late Gregg Smith stunner earned Spalding United their most impressive result of the season so far as they beat title-chasers Halesowen Town 1-0 on Saturday.

The big striker lashed a fierce drive into the roof of the net with just 15 minutes left to play at The Grove, which rocked the Pitching In NPL Midlands Division high-fliers.

It was Smith’s first goal for Spalding since returning to the club from a loan spell with higher-graded Grantham Town and was a timely reminder of the enormous talent he possesses.

And for boss Brett Whaley, who handed a debut to new signing Liam Marshall from his former club Wisbech Town, the performance and result showed him the kind of progress he was looking for.

“Halesowen are a very good side,” said the Tulips’ chief. “With that in mind, it was a great win for us.

“To be honest, it was a game of few chances. We allowed them a lot of possession in front of us, but they didn’t really manage to get in behind.

“I said it before the game, but I think the Scunthorpe game in the Lincs Cup offered us perfect preparation.

“After a good win against Khalsa beforehand, it ended up being a very good week for us.

“I’ve now had the lads for seven games, which is basically like a pre-season.

“And the encouraging thing is that some of the main issues I’ve seen – a lack of consistency and the ability to control a game – are now improving game by game.

“We’re having to make changes in competitive games, but things are coming together nicely now.

“It’s a very competitive league, but we’re slowly getting better and this kind of result shows the progress.

“We had another new debutant in Liam Marshall, but that just shows we’re still seeking a better balance to the side.”

Next up for the Tulips is a home game against Whaley’s old club Wisbech Town on Tuesday night (7.45pm).

Tulips: Duggan, Floyd, Bucci, Marshall, Stainfield, Cartwright, Jones, Broccoli, Smith, Macleod, Starkie. Subs (unused): Ward, Koroma, Flitton, Seymour-Shove.

Attendance: 1,076.