Match Report 16/3/24
Spalding took the travel out to St Ives to see if they could come away with three points. The game started off fast in Spaldings favour with them winning a short corner early on in the first half. The ball played out reached Cunnington who dragged the ball hard into the bottom corner, giving Spalding an early lead. With continuous attacking play from Spalding, and some good passing play lead to Azzopadi receiving the ball on the back post for a tidy finish to put Spalding at a two goal lead with plenty of time left to play. Many back and forth plays from both teams and some crucial saves from saves from Haunch kept the score at 2-0. However, later on into the first half St Ives won a penalty corner in which they were able to capitalise from, leaving the score at 2-1 where the score stayed at to see off the end of the first half.
The second half begun with a St Ives push back. Both teams wanting more and to get the three points created several attacking plays in which nothing was able to come from. Unfortunately for Spalding, St Ives won a penalty corner in which a drag flick from the top was able to bring them back level in the game. With the game now level and all to play for both teams eager to score another led to Spalding on the attack and a precise reverse ball from Cunnington met Baker on the back post to put Spalding ahead once again mid way through the second half. However, shortly after St Ives won another penalty corner where they once again were able to score from to equalise the game back at 3-3. But to ruin any efforts for Spalding, St Ives once again were able to put the ball in the goal from open play to putting St Ives ahead for the first time in the game. With Spalding fighting hard to try late on in the game to level the score up, and with many chances and a green card for Naylor, meant that nothing was able to come from it leaving the score at the end of the game at Spalding 3 – St Ives 4.
MoM – Phil Callow
DoD – Harry Naylor