Northern Premier League Division One South - THE MATCH

Spalding United 2-0 Willenhall Town

Matt Evans 30

Simon Mowbray 34

'Good Evans!' - Official Match Report

As the old cliché goes this was a real 6-pointer for the two teams who occupy the bottom two league places. With so much at stake it was no surprise that clear cut chances were at a premium at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field.
The opening 15 minutes saw the Lockmen having the better of the possession and they forced a couple of early corners, while their keeper Jackson remained untested.
The Tulips saw their first effort of the game come in the 23rd minute when Bowles planted a low shot towards goal, Jackson dealing with the effort comfortably.
The Tulips opened the scoring on the 31st minute when Evans saw his low shot beat a diving Jackson.
Three minutes later a defensive slip let in Mowbray who found himself with plenty of time and space to blast the ball past a stranded Jackson.
A minute later and Evans saw his fiercely struck volley brilliantly saved by Jackson at the expense of a corner.
With half time approaching a simple looking clearance for Jackson saw the keeper kick thin air and with Mowbray chasing the ball down the keeper recovered in time to clear the self imposed danger.
On half time Curtis turned the ball just over Hammett’s goal following some neat work by Yearwood.
The re-start saw a Pinnock shot come cross saved by Hammet and on 72 minutes a low shot by Curtis through a gaggle of players went just wide.
With the game so tight the crowd of 85 had to wait until the 81st minute for another on target effort, Forbes’s low shot forcing a blooming fantastic one handed save by Jackson.
In the dying minutes of the game a scramble on the Lockmen’s goal line saw several efforts scrambled away.

The Lockmen remain rooted to the bottom of the game as they entertain Market Drayton Town at Noose Lane of Tuesday evening.


Spalding line up; Hammet, Howe, King, Toyne, George, Legendre, Forbes, Bowles, Good, Mowbray, Evans. Subs Oliveira, Patrick, Walker, Scott, Roberts.

Willenhall line up; Jackson, Roofe, Ryan, Porter, Griffiths, Perry, Yearwood, Wills, Pugh, Curtis, Pinnock. Subs: Tasker, Morton, Cunnington, Tomlinson.