Spennymoor Town 3 AFC Telford United 3 - Report and pictures
Leap Day almost provided an unexpected leap forward for the Bucks, but their niggling inability to kill a game off returned yet again, a two-goal lead surrendered against a Spennymoor team playing the whole of the second half a man short after James Curtis was dismissed.
The Bucks have established winning positions against Farsley Celtic, Altrincham and now Spennymoor, only to concede equalisers scored late and from long distance by opposition defenders. On Saturday, it was Moors right-back Tyler Forbes who planted a long-range shot beyond Michael Luyambula, a goal the home crowd greeted with celebrations akin to a victory.
For a second successive week the Bucks adapted to the windy conditions more quickly than their opposition; they used the wind and the advantage of attacking down the Brewery Field’s pronounced slope, and went ahead on 13 minutes. From a corner on the left, captain Ellis Deeney, playing at left-back in place of the suspended Arlen Birch, rose to head against the underside of the crossbar. Amidst claims that the ball had crossed the line, Marcus Dinanga prodded in from close range.
The lead was to last less than a minute, as Moors marksman Glen Taylor was afforded too much room to sweep home a shot from 10 yards out from a Rob Ramshaw pass.
The Moors then enjoyed a flurry of attacking intent before the Bucks began to settle once more. Daniels tested home keeper Matt Gould, grandson of former Wolves favourite Bobby, with a well-struck free-kick, before Dinanga scored the goal of the game on 35 minutes. Barnett couldn’t beat Moors full-back Stephen Brogan but found Dinanga, inside the right edge of the penalty area. He looked to run at James Curtis, then found room to strike a shot that curled wickedly in the wind to find the top right-hand corner.
Minutes later, Moors defender Curtis raised his foot, catching Daniels with studs up, and referee Peter Shacklady dismissed the big centre-half, to much vexation from the home crowd. Daniels then retook his feet to bend a terrific free-kick past Gould’s left-hand, the 20-yard effort beating the keeper’s despairing dive.
Two goals ahead at the interval, but now having to defend against a Moors side attacking down the slope, the Bucks wobbled. Zak Lilly was cautioned for a foul on the right touchline on Roberts, and from Brogan’s skimming delivery Roberts timed his run to glance a great header past Luyambula.
That goal, and the perceived injustice of Curtis’ dismissal, stirred the Moors crowd, and anyone walking into the ground would have been hard pressed to spot that one side was numerically disadvantaged.
The Bucks still had chances. Dinanga, cutting into the box on the right, perhaps had his hat-trick in mind when he went for goal instead of squaring for Daniels, and the Moors threw bodies in the way to block his effort.
Moors began to pepper the goal from distance, and the referee made himself even less popular when he turned away penalty appeals on 77 minutes; Henry found himself with just Luyambula to beat, but went down as he tried to round the keeper. Mr Shacklady saw no foul, and Lilly cleared the Bucks lines.
Into the last ten minutes, the usually quicksilver Taylor headed over the angle of post and crossbar from a left-wing cross when most expected him to find the top corner. The Bucks then missed a great opportunity of their own; Daniels drove in a hard, low cross that spun up off home defender Nathan Buddle before Gould snared the loose ball, neither Williams nor Dinanga sharp enough to finish.
The Bucks were to pay a heavy price for that miss deep into stoppage time. With Cowan’s men pushed back, defender Tyler Forbes pushed forward and, finding space 20-25 yards from goal, he struck a deflected shot past Luyambula’s left-hand, the ball nestling in the corner to spark Moors mayhem, and Bucks misery.
Teams
AFC Telford United: Luyambula, Royle, White, Deeney (c), Lilly, Streete, Barnett, Walker, Dinanga, McQuilkin (Williams 64), Daniels.
Unused substitutes: Cowans, Knights, Stenson, Jones.
Scorers: Dinanga (13, 35), Daniels (38).
Cautions: McQuilkin, Lilly.
Spennymoor Town: Gould, Forbes, Brogan, Kennedy (Cogdon 87), Buddle, Curtis (c), Roberts, Henry, Taylor, Ramshaw, Anderson (Magnay 39).
Unused substitutes: Eve, Johnson, Boyes.
Scorer(s): Taylor (14), Roberts (49), Forbes (90+6).
Cautions: Roberts.
Dismissals: Curtis.
Referee: Peter Shacklady.
Assistants: D.Brown, D.Brown.
Attendance: 1077 (31 from Telford).
