The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding Ladies’ 1st 9
Watton 1st 1
Goals: Charlotte Maplethorpe (4), Harriet Mowbray (3), Maddie Haunch (2).
Spalding got back to winning ways in fantastic fashion with a 9-1 win over league strugglers Watton.
Creating chances from the off, Spalding soon took the lead and found themselves 3-0 up within the first ten minutes of the game.
Watton looked to get back into the game and pulled a goal back with a deceptive looping penalty corner shot beating the keeper and the defender on the line.
Spalding reacted well, however, and got three more goals before the break to lead 6-0.
Watton upped their game in the second half and created chances which were well dealt with by the Spalding defence.
Two further goals followed before the pick of the goals was scored when Roz Dennis’s pinpoint cross was met with a brilliant finish on the run by Haunch.
Despite facing a penalty corner in the last action of the game, Spalding held firm and saw out their biggest win of the season.
Huntingdon 1st 0
Spalding Ladies’ 2nd 2
Goals: Erin McMurray, Kate Amess.
With the regular goalkeeper not available, outfield player Evie Maltby stepped up and volunteered to wear the pads.
The plan was to attack from the back from the start and force as many opportunities in the first 35 minutes.
Spalding did not disappoint with a brilliant drive upfield from sweeper Leanne Isaac-Pick to midfielder Tabitha Dunnett, who was then able to deliver a ball from the top of the D to McMurray to finish on the left post.
Not an easy pitch to navigate the ball at speed, Spalding at times felt the pressure from an advantaged Huntingdon. However, the cohesive defensive line-up communicated well and with confident keeping from Maltby, Huntingdon were unable to secure a goal.
A multitude of attempts on goal were made from the wingers and forwards, and finally another fantastic goal was smashed in above the keeper’s helmet by Amess.
Spalding Ladies’ 3st 1
March Town 1st 0
Goal: Sharon Amess.
This Spalding side were determined from the whistle to show how much improvement they had made since they visited March in the first half of the season where they lost heavily.
Spalding were quick to attack and were successful in passing the ball to each other towards the attacking end with midfielders Emily Wright and Sophie Wilson linking nicely with Amess and Vicky Worrall.
When Spalding played it wide, they looked dangerous on the break and the March defence were constantly put under pressure conceding short corners.
In the 23rd minute, Wright took a quick ball passed it into the D and player of the match Amess pushed it into the back of the goal.
At half time, captain Charlotte Morris had lots of praise to give but expressed the need for urgency when meeting and closing the ball down.
Spalding held it together beautifully and the defence of Morris, Lisa Ceaser, Terri Bateman and Honor Pearson worked hard so that keeper Gaby Taylor didn’t have much to do.
March attempted to increase the pressure, but this home side were adamant the three points would be theirs.
Letchworth 1st 5
Spalding Men’s 1st 3
Goals: Jacob Drew (2), Jacob Baker.
Spalding started this away game on the back foot with an early goal going Letchworth’s way from a short corner.
However, Spalding soon turned this around with two quick goals.
The first being a well taken half-volley finish from Drew, who also threaded an inch-perfect pass through to Baker for a superb reverse stick finish.
A good spell up the other end for Letchworth resulted in another short corner which they were able to convert meaning it was 2-2 heading into half time.
The second half continued exactly where it left off, with entertaining end-to-end hockey.
Both teams battled it out but Letchworth converted their third short corner of the game which they deflected into the back of the net.
Spalding bounced back once again late in the game with a very composed finish for Drew’s second of the game leaving it 3-3 with roughly ten minutes left on the clock.
A fourth goal for Letchworth came from another short corner from which Nathan Davy pulled off another great save, however, a scrappy clearance left an easy finish for a Letchworth player.
With only a couple minutes left Spalding were pushing high up the pitch for an equaliser, which left them very exposed at the back resulting in a quick counter-attack.
Player of the match Davy was left in a 3-on-1 situation leading to a simple finish ending the game 5-3 to the home team.
Spalding Men’s 2nd 3
Long Sutton 2nd 2
Goals: Aaron Scholes, Harry Blackman, Steve Rogers.
In this local derby, it was the visitors who took the lead with a fantastic turn and finish from the top of the D leaving Spalding’s keeper with no chance.
Spalding equalised when a deflected Scholes’ penalty corner found the back of the net. The score remained level into the break.
In the second half it was Spalding who took the lead when Harry Blackman finished.
Sutton fought back well and looked to have sealed a point when they equalised with just ten left on the clock.
But Spalding were determined to take the bragging rights and when Scholes received a pass and drove down the right-hand side of the pitch it was all about whether he could find the right cross to pick out one of the supporting runners who were bursting into the D.
Scholes delivered and Steve Rogers was on hand to put the ball into the net with seconds remaining on the clock and take the three points for the home team.
Bourne Deeping 3rd 0
Spalding Men’s 3rd 7
Goals: Tom Pilgrim (2), Ben Scholes (2), Paul Pearson, Tim Amess, Jack Martin.
Spalding started the game strong by creating multiple scoring chances against Bourne Deeping.
Not long after starting the first half, a goal was scored in favour of Spalding created from a penalty corner converted by Pearson.
This continued throughout the first half as Spalding managed to score another three goals before half time with Pilgrim, Scholes and Amess.
This motivated the team and had them in the right mindset to continue their efforts and bring it into the second half.
In the second half Spalding managed to continue to dominate as they controlled the possession in midfield and control the tempo of the game.
This allowed them to create chances and for shots to be taken, however the keeper was able to clear his line.
Further into the second half, Spalding showed no signs of giving up, and were still dominating with possession, making the opposing team to lose their spirits. Seeing this, Spalding got creative with Pilgrim and Scholes adding to their tally and a goal for Martin, ending the match with a fantastic 7-0.
Spalding Men’s 4th 2
Bourne Deeping 4th 1
Goals: Callum Fravigar, Harry Shersby.
Two young goalscorers sealed the points for Spalding in the late pushback of the day.
Fravigar’s neat, lifted finish gave the home side the lead and was the only goal of a closely contested first half.
Bourne Deeping reacted well and were soon level from a penalty corner.
The match continued with neither team creating clear-cut chances until a through ball from Spalding’s defence found its way to Shersby who calmly slotted past Bourne’s keeper.
The home team hung on and repelled the visitors’ flurry of attacks to take the three points.
