TULIPS: Wilt in a dismal Deeping display
DEEPING RANGERS 5 SPALDING UNITED 1
THE time for tinkering is over after a batch of the Tulips' many trialists flopped in this Deeping demolition job on Tuesday night.
Player/boss Richard Scott admitted that many of the Outgang Road line-up will not play for the club again, as his side capitulated after surrendering an early lead.
What the Spalding supremo would give to have hat-trick hero Mitch Griffiths in his ranks. The midfielder was a constant threat all night and was the pick of a number of impressive Deeping performances.
Scott Musgrove - with one of two penalties awarded on the night - and striker Jason Turner were the others on target for rampant Rangers, while Andrew Tidswell bagged a classy opener for the Tulips.
Scott spent much of yesterday delivering a final verdict on the fringe members of his pre-season squad - as he bids to field the strongest possible team for his final four friendly fixtures, starting with Luton Town at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field on Saturday (3pm).
"The time for experimenting is over," said the ex-Peterborough United professional.
"This was always going to be a tough test for us, Deeping have a relatively settled side and are further down the line than we are.
"Obviously I'm disappointed with the scoreline and it's fair to say that some of the trialists won't play for us again.
"There were some encouraging elements to our play, but once they scored we just fell apart.
"I'll be cutting the squad down to about 16 for the Luton game and from now on everyone is fighting for a shirt. I'll now be playing what I consider to be my strongest team."
With Deeping a step lower in the Non-League ladder, the severity of this defeat should not be underestimated.
Ian Dunn fired an early opportunity over, before Tidswell waltzed through from midfield to slot home a superb opener.
Scott is hopeful that the ex-Rushden and Diamonds man, who hails from Spalding, will sign up this week.
But once Musgrove levelled from the spot on 22 minutes, it was all downhill.
Griffiths slotted a cool second after some slack Spalding passing, before Turner rounded keeper Jack Drury - who had already denied Musgrove and Hand - to make it 3-1.
A miserable first half was complete when Sam Bettinson laid the fourth on a plate for Griffiths.
Spalding should have pulled one back after the break, but Dunn registered an early contender for miss of the season.
Tony Onokah had rounded Deeping stopper Lee Crockett, only for his strike partner to blaze over from an angle with the goal gaping.
The Tulips' misery was complete when Griffiths notched his third from the spot late on.
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Weather for Spalding
Thursday 09 February 2012
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