2 days Ago By [email protected] (James Bedford)
A big selection call paid dividends for Spalding United manager Jimmy Dean in their home victory over St Ives on New Year's Day. The Tulips boss handed former Peterborough Sports attacker Maniche Sani his first start in the Southern League Premier Division Central clash. Sani duly repaid his manager's faith by scoring Spalding's equaliser in a man-of-the-match performance in the 3-1 home success as he looks to put a couple of injury-hit campaigns behind him after returning to the Tulips' ranks following a loan spell at Yaxley.
Dean said: "It's massive for him and I'm so happy. "Mani was huge for me at this level before but then injured his knee and missed the whole of the next season. "He got injured again with me at Scunthorpe and missed another season so he's played 13 games in about two years.
"We brought him back early doors when I came to the club because I've got a lot of belief in him. "He wasn't quite there physically so we sent him to Yaxley to get games and they've done a great job with him. "It got to the stage after the draw on Saturday where we were getting into these areas and not putting it away or showing the level that we needed to do.
"I just thought that if Mani is anywhere near where he needs to be or where he was then we've got the answer. "It was a big call. I know a few people looked at it and wondered what I was doing but I believe in my boy.
" Sani's leveller helped Spalding shrug off a sloppy start as goals in first half stoppage time from Bart Cybulski and Joe Nyahwema helped fire the Tulips to victory. Dean added: "It wasn't just a slow start - it was like we were in reverse. "I wasn't happy when I looked at the warm-up and pulled them on that before the game but we went out like we were in our flip-flops for the first 20 minutes.
"They scored one and probably should have had two. We were trying to get a couple of adjustments on and myself and my staff had to earn our money at that point. "We had to really punch home what was wrong to get the boys going and they did.
"It was a great goal from Mani and it just set us off. We were in the ascendency so I was hoping that we could get the second and I was happy when we did. "To get the third goal was huge for us going into half-time.
It gave us that bit of belief and confidence after a couple of draws. "We were confident that we could see the game home. We tried to add a few more and probably should have done.
" The victory moved Spalding up into 11th place and stretched their unbeaten league run to seven games. Dean commented: "I thought we were more dominant in the second half than the first. "We nullified their threat really well.
"I was over the moon and, if you want a reaction from a bad 25 minutes at the beginning, then we got it. "We found a way to win. We've played much better than that and not won and created more chances than that and only scored once.
"Like I keep saying to the owner, if we keep creating chances then we don't need to worry because in the end they will go in. "We found a way to win the game and it's a really important win for us." Spalding now face a tough trip to in-form Bedford Town on Saturday.
The third-placed Eagles have won five of their last six league games and the Tulips will come up against a couple of familiar faces. Striker Tyler Winters has joined Bedford on loan from Peterborough Sports while ex-Spalding Kieron Dawes has recently signed for the Eagles. Dean said: "It feels like things are turning for us but there is still a lot more work to do.
"Bedford had another great win on New Year's Day so it will be a really difficult game on a 4G surface. "We will take stock and try to be ready." The Tulips were without Connor Brown due to injury in Wednesday's win while Jonny Ngandu and Theo Hudson were absent through illness due to a virus in the camp which left Darnell Johnson only well enough to be on the bench.
Dion Sembie-Ferris went off injured in the first half while Connor Tomlinson has left the club in search of more game-time..
