Spalding United score seven goals in their final game win at Barwell

Spalding finished their season in style as the Tulips recorded their biggest victory of the Southern League Premier Division Central campaign on Saturday.

Jimmy Dean's side followed up their five-goal derby drubbing of Stamford on Easter Monday by winning 7-1 at relegated Barwell.

James Clifton led the scoring spree with a hat-trick haul while Jack Roberts bagged a brace with Liam Moore and Jason Law also on target.

Although it wasn't enough to secure a play-off place due to Harborough's win at AFC Sudbury, the seventh-place finish was Spalding's highest-ever in the non-league pyramid.

It also represented a meteoric rise for a side who lost six of their seven opening games with Dean taking the helm at the end of August.

The Spalding boss said: "When we came in, the remit was to really stay up and there were times early on when I doubted if we could do that.

"Obviously Andrew Killingsworth (Spalding chairman) has put his neck out and helped me to get some good players and we've turned it around.

"We had to be near-on perfect to make the play-offs and we probably drew a few too many in all truth and probably lose a couple of games that we shouldn't have done on the balance of play.

"We've finished a very reputable seventh and, if you had offered me that when I came in after losing a couple of games early doors thinking it was going to be really tough, I would have snapped your hand off."

Roberts had sent an early header wide of the home goal while Brady Hickey was off target with a free-kick for the hosts in the opening exchanges.

The deadlock was then broken in the 32nd minute as Clifton started the scoring spree with he turned home a cross from Nathan Fox.

The same combination then joined forces again five minutes later as Fox picked out Clifton with a cross which was headed home to double Spalding's lead.

Barwell - who needed to win the game to have any hope of staying up - made three changes at the break, including the introduction of former Reading striker Leroy Lita.

However, it took Spalding only a minute after the restart to add a third goal as Roberts raced clear before slotting home.

Fox fizzed another effort into the side-netting before the fourth goal arrived in the 56th minute as Moore fired home a free-kick from 25 yards out.

The floodgates had now opened and Law made it five with a tidy turn and shot just past the hour mark following his introduction for Joe Nyahwema.

Clifton completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute as he headed home a cross from Dan Lawlor before Barwell bagged a consolation shortly after when Prince Mancinelli drove home a fine finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Spalding though had the final say in the 89th minute as Roberts cut inside before slamming home their seventh goal of the game.