Spennymoor Town 1 AFC Telford United 2 - Report and pictures
Having guaranteed safety at the weekend, the Bucks didn’t have their minds on the beach on another trip to the North East, and an excellent performance, even when reduced to ten men, may have Rob Edwards wishing that their season wasn’t due to end this coming weekend.
The Bucks fell behind as early as the 3rd minute; a ball in from the right flank saw Connor Johnson lose his man at the far post, and when the ball was fed back from that position mark Anderson slotted home, low and across Ben Wilson from close range.
Far from using that goal as a springboard, Spennymoor then began to exhibit some anxieties, and the Bucks slowly became the more dominant side. The pace of Ryan Giles, Elliot Newby and Marcus Dinanga, allied to Amari Morgan-Smith’s physicality, began to trouble the Moors back line. Their cause wasn’t helped when Dinanga’s accidental clash of heads robbed them of veteran centre-half James Curtis, who left the field with his head bandaged.
On 26 minutes the Bucks earned an equaliser; Morgan-Smith stole possession back off a Moors defender on the left of the box, and swivelled to centre for Dinanga, whose low shot went through a defender’s legs and beat home keeper Jordan Porter to restore parity. From thereon the Bucks took a hold of proceedings, and the Moors, desperate for the points to bolster their play-off hopes, looked laboured.
They were handed a boost early in the second half when Bucks defender Dom Smith was dismissed, a straight red card after a challenge on Bradley Fewster saw him win the ball, but also catch the home forward. There was a lengthy delay before the red card, as the home fans and players demanded and got their wish, although it looked a harsh call.
However, the Bucks simply adapted, changed their shape and tactics and, utilising the pace of Giles, went on to win the game. The decisive moment came on 68 minutes, when the Bucks broke swiftly and Giles used the space in the left channel to get away a shot that beat the keeper.
Elliot Newby then put a shot over the bar when well placed, and Spennymoor began to tire, a legacy of a hectic schedule, as well as run out of ideas. Rob Ramshaw touched an effort just wide of the post, and Ben Wilson held a late header as the Bucks defence held firm to earn a deserved three points.
Bucks: Wilson, Johnson, White, Smith, Sutton (c), Deeney, Newby, Royle, Morgan-Smith (Marsden 79), Dinanga, Giles.
Scorers: Dinanga (26), Giles (68).
Unused subs: Bignot, Singh, Lussey, Richards.
Spennymoor Town: Porter, Griffiths, Mason, Chandler, Henry, Curtis (Tait 12), Hall, Ramshaw, Taylor, Fewster, Anderson.
Unused subs: Foley, Lowson, Johnson, Dixon.
Scorers: Anderson (3).
Referee: G.Rhodes
Assistants: D. Carr, D.Holbrook
