The Tulips started brightly and would have gained an early advantage had it not been for the heroics of Elliott Taylor to deny Glenn Walker at his near post with a superb stop.
Long shots from Riley O’Sullivan and Tyler Winters followed as the visitors tried to take a goal advantage into half time, but they would enter the break with a man disadvantage as Winters’ late challenge on Amar Sandhu forced the referee into brandishing a red card.
An early Alex Morris effort in the second half set the tempo for the Bees, with further chances from Jordon Crawford and Sandhu, but it was Spalding’s O’Sullivan who should have etched his name on the scoreboard, only for his effort to cannon off the crossbar.
Kai Tonge tested Tony Breeden with a curling free kick and a close-range header, but Spalding’s defensive block stood resolutely as the game ended all square.
The Bees boss Mitch Austin stated following the game: “It was a tight game between two top teams, with Spalding defending well despite being down to 10. We created good chances, but it wasn’t our day in front of goal, so a draw was a fair result in the end.”
Harborough Town 0 (0)
Spalding United 0 (0)
MOTM: Isaiah Bazeley (HTFC)
Match Rating: 3*
By Cristian Bratu