Spalding United 2-2 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

February 2, 2026

119

31/1/26

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

Charlie Boatwright-Collier scored his first Bishop’s Stortford goal in a 2-2 draw away at league leaders Spalding United on Saturday. The Blues had led 0-2 with captain Jake Thompson netting the second, before Curtis Thompson and Dan Lawlor levelled the match. Victory for Harborough Town on Saturday sees the Tulips’ lead at the top of the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division table cut to just one point, while Stortford are 13th, nine points from the Play-Off places and 11 above the relegation zone

Jack Roberts fired in a low cross from the right but Adam Hayton saved before Bart Cybulski could meet the ball, Cybulski’s low shot from the next attack was blocked by Brad Russell in a central position, before Dion Sembie-Ferris’ long range strike from a half-cleared corner went straight to Hayton. Boatwright-Collier’s goal came against the run of play when the hosts failed to deal with Cole Dasilva’s deep free kick, Dempsy Crace hooked the ball back in from the right side to the forward whose control flicked the ball up into the air to volley across goal with his right foot. Roberts won a foot race with goalkeeper Hayton on the right side, but he could only chip the ball onto the roof of the empty net from a tight angle. Dasilva’s free kick fell to Boatwright-Collier but he couldn’t make space for a shot, instead picking out Obi Onyeagwara on the left, he cut in onto his right foot but shot wide. Victor Aiye pounced on a miscued clearance from Onyeagwara’s cross, but he fired over the bar. Thompson outjumped the defender to head home Dasilva’s free kick from the right in a central position to double the lead before half-time.

HT 0-2

A deep corner from the right was headed back across goal by Cybulski but Dasilva cleared the ball off the line, before Sembie-Ferris tried a through ball for Cybulski but his pass was overhit and Hayton claimed the loose ball. The pressure grew and Connor Johnson found the net with a diving header at the near post from Roberts’ left wing corner to halve the deficit. Leon Davies cleared a cross off the line and Jack Smith blocked the follow-up shot for a corner, before Yusifu Ceesay laid the ball off to substitute Dan Lawlor whose powerful strike from outside the box levelled the match with 15 minutes to go. Roberts forced Hayton into a smart save diving away to his right to keep out the powerful shot at the near post, and Harry Forde’s loopy header from Onyeagwara’s cross went narrowly wide. Despite some late pressure, the Lincolnshire side couldn’t fashion a clear cut chance to score a winner, as both sides took a point.

FT 2-2

TEAMS

Spalding United XI

13 Daniel Wilks

2 Dion Sembie-Ferris (Yellow card 82’)

3 Tosin Olopade

4 Liam Moore (c)

5 Connor Johnson (Goal 62’)

6 Curtis Thompson (Lawlor 69’)

7 Jack Roberts

8 Josh McCammon

9 Bart Cybulski (Clifton 66’)

10 Abduramane Sani (Yellow card 77’)

11 Yusifu Ceesay

Subs

12 James Clifton

14 Alfie Bendle

15 Lewis White

16 Dan Lawlor (Goal 74’)

17 Ryan Fryatt

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Adam Hayton

2 Dempsy Crace (Assist 24’) (Yellow card 43’) (Haines 70’)

3 Leon Davies

4 Cole Dasilva (Assist 40’) (Yellow card 81’)

5 Jake Thompson (c) (Goal 40’) (Yellow card 80’)

9 Charlie Boatwright-Collier (Goal 40’)

10 Bradley Russell (Virciglio 52’)

11 Obi Onyeagwara

14 Jack Smith

15 Deivi Kreka

17 Victor Aiye (Forde 83’)

Subs

6 Mark Haines

7 Charlie Castle

12 Fabio Virciglio

20 Harry Forde

Attendance 548