*Spalding Men’s 1s vs Harleston Magpies 2 – Match Report* 4-4
On a cold and wet afternoon at Glen Park, Spalding Men’s 1s battled to a thrilling 4-4 draw against Harleston Magpies 2 in a game filled with drama from start to finish.
The visitors struck first with an early short corner goal to take a 0-1 lead. However, Spalding responded quickly as Jacob Baker found the net from open play to make it 1-1 within minutes. The momentum continued for the home side when James Grant converted a short corner, giving Spalding a 2-1 advantage.
Harleston Magpies 2 looked dangerous on the counter-attack, prompting Liam Fravigar to take a tactical green card to break down the play, leaving Spalding temporarily down to 10 men. Amidst the intensity, Skipper Sam Howitt displayed great composure by picking a superb aerial, only to be taken out by a Harleston attacker which left him on the floor for several minutes.
As the first half drew to a close, Harleston capitalised on an attacking move, scoring from open play to level the game at 2-2 by half-time. During the break, Howitt received swift medical attention from Mike Morris, allowing him to return to action for the second half.
The visitors started the second half strongly, scoring from open play to regain the lead at 2-3. Spalding responded through Stu Cunnington, whose well-taken goal brought the sides level once more at 3-3. The excitement continued as Harleston quickly added another goal from open play to edge ahead 3-4.
With the clock ticking down, Jacob Baker showcased his skill with a composed finish, dribbling past the goalkeeper to slot home the equaliser at 4-4. Jacob’s eventful afternoon continued as he later received a green card for hitting the ball away.
In the dying moments of the match, Spalding keeper Oscar Haunch produced a brilliant save to ensure the game ended in a hard-fought draw. Jacob Baker’s two-goal display and all-round performance earned him the well-deserved Man of the Match accolade.
Spalding Men’s 1s will take many positives from this closely contested encounter as they look ahead to their next fixture.
A special mention to David Dorey, who picked up the coveted DoD award after an unexpected mid-training exit on Wednesday due to some unfortunate stomach troubles – a swift dash home that won’t be forgotten anytime soon!