Report: 1st XI Men vs Ipswich 2 – October 21, 2023

Spalding 1s 4-5 Ipswich 

Illness cripples the squad again in a long journey to Ipswich for game number 6 of the season, meaning manager Jason Naylor fills in to help the team again. The game starts with a high intensity, and following a drive into the D by an Ipswich attacker, a shot took a massive deflection and looped into the bottom corner to put the home team ahead. Spading reacted very well, and a quality link up between Dan Azzopardi and goal scorer Jacob Baker gave spalding an immediate equaliser. The goal then gave Spalding the momentum to win a short corner, that Stewart Cunnington calmly converted through a drag flick into the bottom right corner. However, our numbers in attack left Spalding vulnerable to a counter attack which lead to an Ipswich overload in the spalding D, giving Ipswich an equaliser through a pass to back post and good finish at near post. Once again spalding reacted well scoring two goals via Stuart Cunnington and Darren Grooby who scored his first goal for Spalding 1s through a wonderful first time finish assisted very nicely by Jacob Baker to put Spalding 4-2 up at half time. A tired spalding invited a lot of pressure from Ipswich, which was made more difficult following a green card for Will Baker. The spalding defence was eventually broken down through two quick short corners, and a reverse shot late on through many bodies and deflections, ended up in the top corner to put Spalding behind. Despite Spalding’s best efforts to respond again, they could not find the goal, meaning the game finished 5-4 to Ipswich. 

Mom: Jacob baker 

DOD: Harry Blackman