Spalding United draw with Kettering Town in the Southern League Premier Division Central

Spalding shared the spoils with table-topping Kettering Town after an exciting finish to their Southern League Premier Division Central clash on Saturday.

The league leaders had struck first with 11 minutes of the match left at the Sir Halley Stewart ground through Connor Johnson.

However, their advantage lasted just four minutes before Bart Cybulski brought Spalding level from the penalty spot to ensure the honours ended even.

The Tulips handed a debut to former Forest Green Rovers defender Darnell Johnson with Liam Moore absent for the crucial clash.

Khanya Leshabela came into the team for Dan Lawlor as manager Jimmy Dean made two changes to his starting line-up following the win at Alvechurch last weekend.

Ex-Spalding players Lewis White and Nile Ranger were both on the substitutes' bench for the table-topping Poppies.

There was very little between the two teams in the opening half with both sides trading blows but ultimately neither were able to land the clinical shot.

Kettering posed a couple of early problems but Johnson did well on his Spalding debut to block a dangerous Wes York cross.

Luca Miller then went down under a Sam Cartwright challenge but appeals for a penalty were waved away.

Spalding responded and Johnson met a corner with a first time shot but his effort was straight at Poppies goalkeeper Dan Jezeph.

A well-executed delivery from Kieran Freeman just evaded the incoming Bart Cybulski while Kettering peppered the Spalding goal in the latter stages of the half but were unable to break through as the first period finished goalless.

Spalding appeared to have a lucky escape at the start of the second half when Jonny Edwards went down when clear on goal but the referee ruled against penalising Cartwright.

The visitors then had a let off at the other end when Lamine Sherif was unable to convert with just Jezeph to beat from Cybulski's low cross after the frontman had broken the offside trap.

Cybulski then saw a back post header blocked by Harlain Mbayo while home goalkeeper Tony Breeden had to be alert with a smart stop to deny York as the game started to open up.

Spalding introduced Glenn Walker and Lewis Hilliard with the latter being denied by a last ditch challenge from Mbayo as he looked to latch onto Freeman's through ball.

Former Newcastle striker Ranger was brought on by the visitors with 15 minutes remaining as both sides looked for the match-clinching breakthrough.

Walker got back to make a crucial tackle on Ben Hart who then drove a shot into the side-netting from the resultant corner.

The Poppies then broke the deadlock with 11 minutes remaining when an unmarked Johnson guided a header home from a corner.

The response from Spalding was almost immediate as Nathan Fox was felled by Hart in the 83rd minute and Cybulski stepped up to score from the penalty spot.

Spalding: Breeden, Brown, Fox, Johnson, Cartwright, Leshabela (Hilliard), Sembie-Ferris (Hudson), Sherif (Ngandu), Cybulski, Freeman, Nyahwema (Walker). Sub not used: Tomlinson.

Attendance: 935.