FA Trophy: Spennymoor Town 1 Telford 2 - Report

Goals from captain Shane Sutton and Andre Brown, allied to some late defensive heroics, earned the Bucks a shot at National League side Solihull Moors on February 23 as the Bucks maintained their hoodoo over Spennymoor, to whom Telford have never lost.

With the Brewery Field surface wet and heavy, it cut up underfoot quickly and neither side were able to assert any real authority in a first period that was a war of attrition.

Ryan Barnett sliced a shot wide of Matt Gould’s far post after the Bucks profited from a missed tackle by James Curtis, whilst National League North’s top scorer, Moors' Glenn Taylor, headed wide at the far post under pressure.

Brown couldn’t control a far-post header from a free-kick, and then shot into the side netting from the right of the penalty area when slipped in behind the home defence.

The final chance of the half fell to Stephen Brogan; James McQuilkin fouled Rob Ramshaw as he headed for goal and from 20 yards out Brogan hit a free-kick around the wall that Andy Wycherley got behind, moving to his left.

Any thoughts that the second half would be a similar affair were blown wide apart early on.

The Bucks took the lead from a corner when Sutton got free of his marker to divert a close-range effort home past Gould.

The jubilation was short-lived, however, as home marksman Taylor brought his side level within two minutes.

From a ball played up to him, he showed the hallmarks of a man in form to place a beautifully weighted shot over a stranded Wycherley from 25 yards.

The game started to open up more, with Ryan Barnett prominent on the left-hand side, and from a corner won by him Sutton sliced another effort over from 15 yards. However, the Bucks weren’t to be denied for long; Barnett found room on the edge of the box, fired in a shot that Gould got a hand to but Brown pounced to bury the loose ball from close range.

With 15 minutes left, the Moors didn’t respond immediately, but in the final five minutes they threw the proverbial kitchen sink at the Bucks.

Defender James Curtis flashed a header wide, Steph Morley then headed off his own line before Taylor wasted the final chance with Moors keeper Gould in attack, firing over from the edge of the box.

There was some late frustration, with Curtis and Matthew Barnes-Homer booked for an altercation, but Cowan’s troops held firm to move a step closer to Wembley.

Spennymoor Town: Gould, Williams, Brogan, Chandler, Thackray (Hibbs 87), Curtis (c), Hall (Tuton 72), Henry (Boyes 41), Taylor, Ramshaw, Johnson. Subs not used: Elliott, Anderson.

AFC Telford United: Wycherley, White, Morley, Deeney, Sutton (c), Royle, Cowans (Daniels 78) , McQuilkin, Morgan-Smith (Knights 67), Brown (Barnes-Homer 85), Barnett. Subs not used: Lilly, Martinez, Knights, Daniels, Barnes-Homer.

Referee: G.Rhodes.

Attendance: 571.