Colin’s crack - after the Shildon game

Spartans' assistant manager Colin Myers reflected on his side's performance against Shildon on Tuesday evening.

"We were excellent against a very good side, especially bearing in mind the players we had missing," he said.

"In the first half I thought we had a lot of possession but lacked penetration but we rectified this after half time and got a grip of the middle of the pitch and performed much better in the final third. I was pleased with our fitness levels too whereas Shildon faded a little.

"This pre-season has been very different to last year's. This time we have a much more settled squad so we can focus on the areas where we need to improve. Last season we were still chasing players at this stage.

"We have managed to retain players and added some quality too, which is great."