Report: 4th XI Men vs Pelicans 4s – February 07, 2026

Match Report: The Pelicans Men’s 4s 5–3 Spalding Men’s 4s

Spalding Men’s 4s travelled to King’s Lynn to face The Pelicans Men’s 4s and were edged out 5–3 in an entertaining and closely fought contest.

From the first whistle both sides looked eager to play attacking hockey, and the game quickly settled into an end-to-end battle. The Pelicans made the early breakthrough, capitalising on a loose ball in the Spalding circle to take the lead. Spalding responded well and drew level when James Giles opened the scoring for the visitors, finishing confidently after a well-worked passing move.

The Pelicans then regained the lead, but Spalding fought back again, with Henry Gibbons scoring to level the match. The home side edged ahead once more, before Will Clark put Spalding back on level terms, showing great composure to finish a strong attacking move.

After that, The Pelicans scored twice more in the latter stages to secure the win, despite a spirited performance from Spalding who created several further opportunities but were unable to convert them into additional goals.

Spalding had a number of youngsters in the team who worked tirelessly throughout the match, showing great energy and commitment alongside the more experienced players. One of those, Isaac Davidson, showed real progress and skill throughout the game and was deservedly named Player of the Match for an excellent all-round performance. Goalkeeper Steve Thurlbourne was also key, producing a number of crucial saves to keep Spalding in the contest.

Although the result did not go their way, Spalding can take plenty of positives from a spirited display. The goals from Giles, Gibbons and Clark highlighted the attacking threat on show, and the team will look to build on this performance in the weeks ahead.