The 5th team’s quest for the title took a knock being beaten at home by a pacey Spalding team. A change in the Dragon’s line up meant fielding a more experienced team, losing many of their younger players to other teams or injury.
The Dragons attacked from the start but were regularly thwarted on the edge of the D by dogged Spalding defence. Meanwhile Spalding always looked dangerous on the break and were able to capitalise on one of these to take the lead.
Fighting back, the Dragons continued to play a fierce game in the centre of the pitch with Byrne, making a welcome comeback, often winning the ball and driving forward. Too often the Dragons gave the ball away too easily and failed to move into the opponents D on sufficient occasions.
After the break the Dragons pushed forward to try to equalise leaving themselves vulnerable to a counterattack. Regularly Wilmot and Knipe were left exposed at the back forcing Musgrove to make a string of fine saves. Eventually Spalding were able to convert one of these chances to take a two goal advantage.
With greater urgency the Dragons pushed forward and were able to pull one back through Gray in a goal mouth scramble.
Continuing their attacking play for the equaliser, the Dragons still looked vulnerable against the speed of the Spalding attack. Sadly they succumbed to an extremely unlucky goal, when a fine save by Musgrove was followed up by an attacker but cleared off the line only to ricochet off the keeper’s pads back into the path of a Spalding player to convert.
With time running out, the Dragons still tried to keep their title hopes alive and the ever productive Waters was able to slot in a bouncing pass to give some hope but there was too little time for this to have a major effect.
The top of the league remains tight with Leadenham 2nd below Deeping by 3 points but with a game in hand.

Goal Scorers: Richard Gray, Steve Waters

Squad: Terry Musgrove GK, Jeremy Phipps C, Paul Matthews, Simon Wilmot, Steve Knipe, Mark Hotchkin, Lewis Goold, Zach Morley, Robert Stevens, Paul Byrne, Richard Gray, Steve Waters