Saturday’s impressive 7-1 win at Grantham Town saw Spartans achieve some notable landmarks stretching way back in time.
Goals from Dan Maguire (2), Joel Dixon, Nathan Buddle, Ryan Hutchinson, Dan Hawkins and an own goal gave Spartans supporters a memorable send off into Christmas and here is a run down of the landmarks hit by Tom Wade’s side.
1: Joel Dixon scored his first goal in a Spartans shirt with his first half strike that doubled Spartans lead after Ryan Hutchinson’s opener.
2: Two players – Ryan Hutchinson and Dan Hawkins both grabbed their second goals for the club and all four goals have been scored away from Croft Park. Hutchinson scored his first goal at Halesowen Town and Hawkins got off the mark at Matlock Town earlier in the season.
2: Since the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round win at Leek Town in late October Spartans are averaging just over two goals scored per game. It’s twenty nine goals in thirteen games at an average of 2.23 goals per game.
5: The win at Grantham Town was the first time Spartans have scored seven in any competition for five years. That came with a 7-1 hammering of Ossett Albion in the FA Cup on 26 September 2009.
8: The win was the eighth time that Spartans have scored three or more goals in a competitive fixture this season. The other occasions were against Darlington, Skelmersdale United, Belper Town, Leek Town, Altrincham, Kings Lynn Town and Ashington.
9: It’s nine years since Spartans have won six games in a row and that came during the historic 2005/06 Unibond League title winning season when Harry Dunn’s side managed eight wins on the spin.
9: Striker Dan Maguire scored two goals in a game for the ninth time in his Spartans career. His previous efforts came against the likes of Ashton United, Witton Albion and Altrincham. He has one hat-trick for the club which was scored against Stafford Rangers.
19: Saturday’s win was the biggest league win since a 7-1 Croft Park demolition of Mossley on 11 April 1995. On the scoresheet that day were Pearson, Gamble, Harkus, Ditchburn, Pyle 3.
19: The win at Grantham Town was Spartans biggest away win for just under nineteen years. That came on 30 January 1996 with a 7-0 win at Hebburn Town in the South Tyneside Football Benevolent Fund Gazette Cup
21: It is Spartans biggest away win in the league since 11 December 1993, when they triumphed 7-1 at Chester-le-Street Town in the Northern League. Goalscorers in that game were Pyle 2, Peattie 3, English, and Palmer.
53: Dan Hawkins grabbed Spartans final goal on Saturday and it was their 53rd competitive goal of the season.
74: The defeat was Grantham Town’s biggest home loss in seventy four years. That came with another 7-1 defeat against Denaby United in the war-time Midlands League in 1940.