Spalding United draw with Bromsgrove Sporting in the Southern League Premier Division Central

Spalding were held to a third successive draw after conceding a late equaliser in their Southern League Premier Division Central clash with Bromsgrove Sporting on Saturday.

The Tulips had hit a late leveller to secure a share of the spoils in their Boxing Day derby with Stamford.

However, the tables were turned at the Sir Halley Stewart on Saturday as Glenn Walker's first half opener was cancelled out by Carter Lycett's 88th minute equaliser.

Although Spalding are now unbeaten in their last six league games, manager Jimmy Dean felt his side had created enough chances to take maximum points from their second game in two days.

He said: "I thought the performance levels were as good as they've been.

"We dominated the match and created chance after chance but we didn't put the game to bed and then got hit by a late sucker punch.

"It was really frustrating not to win the game after playing so well for so long but that's football because it has that ability to kick you."

Walker was the only change to the Spalding starting line-up from the draw at Stamford as he replaced Joe Nyahwema.

Spalding started on the front foot and Lewis Hilliard lifted a couple of efforts over the visitors' crossbar before the Tulips took an 11th minute lead.

Kieron Freeman and Connor Brown linked well down the right and the latter pulled the ball back into the box for Walker to sweep home into the far corner of the net.

Walker went close again moments later when the ball broke to him in the box but he was denied by a fine save from Sporting goalkeeper Charles Price.

Bart Cybulski drove an effort over after being teed up by Hilliard who then turned a corner goalwards with Walker unable to convert.

The visitors then had an appeal for a penalty turned down when Ethan Patterson went down in the area under a challenge from Darnell Johnson in the final action of the first half.

Cybuklski headed wide from a Dion Sembie-Ferris cross after the break before Price produced a super stop to keep out a first-time strike from Hilliard following Johnson's knock-down.

Home goalkeeper Tony Breeden tipped a curling shot from Billy Shaw to safety with the resulting corner producing another chance for Bromsgrove as Spalding scrambled clear a Patterson header.

Breeden made a superb close range save from Sporting substitute Theo Robinson who then teed up the equaliser as he played in Lycett to drive his finish past the Spalding custodian.

Dean added: "Bromsgrove had a couple of dangerous moments in the game but not many.

"They kept us honest and, I said to the players at half-time, that I didn't think we could win the game 1-0.

"We needed a second goal and, if we had got that, we would probably have kept a clean sheet because the game would slowly fade away then and you could manage it. They were always in it at 1-0."

The draw leaves Spalding in 15th place in an ultra-tight division where just three points separates Bishop's Stortford in 11th spot from Lowestoft in the relegation zone.

Spalding are back in action at the Sir Halley Stewart on New Year's Day when they host 12th-placed St Ives Town (3pm).