Spalding United hosted Peterborough United in a pre-season friendly
Manager Elliot Sandy praised the efforts of his Spalding United players in their prestigious pre-season friendly with Peterborough United on Tuesday night.
Although the Tulips went down to a 7-0 defeat against a strong League One side, Sandy was pleased with how his players took on the daunting task.
A crowd of 1,360 also turned out on what was a good day overall for the club despite the final scoreline.
Sandy said: "Games like this are more for the fans and the club and I was really pleased with the turn-out.
"Although it was a big score, you actually enjoy playing these games in terms of a player because you're testing yourself against top, top players.
"Posh played two different sides in each half while some of our lads have been at work since 7am this morning and still put a right shift in.
"They have given me and the club absolutely everything out on the pitch and we did well in spells.
"I don't think it was a 7-0 game. Some of the goals which we gave away were a bit poor and sloppy which isn't like us but that's going to happen in pre-season.
"Players of Posh's quality and ability are going to find holes in your armour as such and they took their goals extremely well."
Posh netted twice in the opening period as Spalding started the game with the majority of the team that had beaten National League side Boston United at the weekend.
Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson completely changed his line-up for the second half while Spalding also rang the changes as the visitors scored a further five times without reply.
Sandy added: "Once we conceded the first goal, I didn't want to see us just fold and let in another two or three in a short space of time.
"They got a reasonably early goal in the first half but we just keep going. We didn't fold and were hard to break down.
"We had our own spells at times and I'd have sort of taken 2-0 at half-time.
"It was disappointing to concede five in the second half but we had tiring players and others who were getting their first minutes. All in all, it was a good work-out."
The Tulips had handed a first start to summer signing Tyrone Lewthwaite who led the attack with former Posh youngster Lewis Darlington who had scored on his Spalding debut against Boston United at the weekend.
The League One side predictably had large swathes of possession in the opening period with two goals inside the opening 16 minutes asserting their dominance.
After George Nevett had sent a good chance over the home crossbar, Posh broke the deadlock after nine minutes.
Spalding carelessly conceded possession which allowed Posh to put together a well-worked move which ended with Jacob Wakeling drilling home a low finish into the far corner of the home net.
The Tulips came close to an equaliser shortly after when James Clifton clipped a free-kick narrowly over the crossbar following a foul on Lewthwaite before Posh doubled their lead after 16 minutes.
Wakeling was again the recipient at the back post as he found space to fire home an almost replica finish into the bottom corner.
Although the heavens might have opened above with a heavy downpour, the second goal didn't see the floodgates also open as Spalding stuck to their task manfully.
Clifton saw another free-kick deflected wide after Darlington had been felled by Emmanuel Fernandez while Lewthwaite went close with Posh goalkeeper Jed Steer getting a crucial touch to divert the ball past the far post.
Chris Conn-Clarke could only shoot straight at home custodian Tony Breeden when well-placed before the Tulips goalkeeper excelled to deny Posh a third when he denied Ricky-Jade Jones after he had broken clear of the defence.
Sam Cartwright then steered a late header over the Posh crossbar as Ferguson's side held their two-goal lead going into the break.
They fielded a different line-up for the second half while Spalding introduced Tyler Winters, Sam Bennett, Nathan Stainfield, Danny Draper and Luke Johnson at the break.
Spalding skipper Stainfield was soon into the action with a vital block from Cian Hayes' shot, however, the former Fleetwood player wasn't to be denied moments later.
Breeden produced a superb save to fingertip away a goalbound shot from Abraham Odoh but Hayes came sliding in at the back post to convert within six minutes of the restart.
Stainfield then headed just over from a setpiece as Spalding continued to compete with their full-time professional visitors.
Posh added their fourth goal just past the hour mark when a fine pass from Joel Randall released Hayes who rounded Breeden before tapping home.
Malik Mothersille made it five when he turned home a cross as the game entered the final 20 minutes before David Ajiboye got in on the goalscoring act when he finished well after a strong run.
Randall then wrapped up the win in style late on as he fired home an emphatic finish past Spalding's replacement goalkeeper, Jake West.
Spalding: Breeden, Ezewele, Dawes, Cartwright, Walker, Warburton, Clifton, Chettle, Ngandu, Darlington, Lewthwaite. Subs used: Stainfield, Draper, Winters, Bennett, Johnson, Barker, Hilliard, Langford, Graham, West (GK).
Posh: First half - Steer, Collins, De Havilland, Poku, Nevett, Jones, Conn-Clarke, Wakeling, Dornelly, Mills, Fernandez.
Second half - Bilokapic, Crichlow, Mothersille, Odoh, Randall, Ajiboye, Hayes, Adebisi, Kyprianou, Rose, O'Brien-Brady.
Attendance: 1,360.
