Spalding manager predicts 'interesting test ahead' in pre-season friendly at Newark

Spalding United will be up against a couple of familiar faces when they kick off their third pre-season friendly at Newark on Saturday.

The Nottinghamshire-based Step 5 side who play in the Midland Football League Central Division are likely to field popular ex-Tulips captain Nathan Stainfield and striker Brad Wells for the match at Lowfields.

Having changed their name from Newark Flowserve in May, the Works are expected to provide another stiff test for Spalding after their 3-0 defeat to Southern League Premier Division Central side Peterborough Sports at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field last Saturday.

Tulips manager Lewis Thorogood said: "Newark are a very, very good outfit who should by vying for promotion this season.

"They've got a lot of players who the club have paid a lot of good money out on so there's an interesting test ahead."

Thorogood went away "content" after last Saturday's friendly defeat to Step 3 side Sports whose goals were scored by ex-Tulips striker Mark Jones, dangerous winger Dion Sembie-Ferris and one-time Deeping Rangers midfielder Matt Sparrow.

"You can look at a pre-season friendly and say: 'We lost 3-0 so let's look at all the negatives from it,'" Thorogood said.

"But you have to look at the positive as well and there were phases of the game where we played some really nice football.

"We're not going to play teams as good as Peterborough Sports week in and week out so we've got to put some reality into what happened last Saturday.

"We had a chance to score in the first half and although we didn't really test the keeper in the second half, we kept going and kept trying to win the battles in midfield."

. Spalding were also in pre-season action last night (Wednesday) at United Counties League Division One side Holwell Sports, winning 4-2 with Jamie Goddard and Jacob Fenton among the scorers.