- Turner opens scoring ten minutes after the break for home side
- Jack Edwards heads in Brakes’ second one minute later
- Weaver saves Taylor penalty after Ramshaw is brought down
- Ramshaw header four minutes from time not enough
Leamington 2
Turner 56
Edwards 57
Spennymoor 1
Ramshaw 84
Two Leamington goals in a minute proved to be Moors’ undoing as Leamington inflicted the first defeat of Tommy Miller’s reign.
Dan Turner and Jack Edwards’ quick fire efforts left a shell shocked Moors requiring a momentous comeback – one almost achieved after Rob Ramshaw’s late header.
Glen Taylor saw a penalty saved by the excellent Jake Weaver on a frustrating afternoon for Spennymoor.
Miller made two alterations from the side who began the 3-2 win over Southport, with Mark Anderson and Stephen Thompson replacing Carl Magnay and Adriano Moke.
In what was Leamington’s first league game of the season following Covid-19 issues, the game got off to a scrappy opening, with little in the way of action as both teams looked to settle into the occasion.
Moors created the first opportunity of the match just past the fifteen minute mark when Scott McLean’s wicked cross struck Rob Ramshaw, with Jack Lane heading over his own bar to clear.
Leamington offered little in the way of a goal threat, but did fashion a moment of threat when Kelsey Mooney fired a shot wide of Dale Eve’s right post.
A first half bereft of flow and momentum passed by without incident for large portions, with Brad Abbott attempting to change that with a low effort just past the half hour mark, however, Jake Weaver was equal to it.
Kelsey Mooney was The Brakes’ biggest threat, firing a shot wide of the post before latching on to a loose ball and testing Eve from the edge of the box.
The Leamington striker continued to cause problems for Moors, nicking in after Brad Abbott mis controlled, before his cross was just missed by winger Devon Kelly-Evans.
The second half began in this same vein, with both sides struggling to get the ball down and turn possession into chances, however, Joe Tait came close to opening the scoring when he sliced over the bar from a corner.
Four minutes later, the game changed in an instant, with Leamington scoring twice in two minutes.
After Kelly-Evans released the lively Mooney down the right, the striker found Edwards in the area. His initial effort was cleared off the line by Tait, but Turner was on hand to tap into an empty net.
Moors barely had time to compose themselves as The Brakes doubled their lead less than a minute later. Mooney was the architect, curling a cross on to the head of Edwards who beat Eve to give Spennymoor a mountain to climb.
The second goal spurred Moors into life, and after Ramshaw was brought down by Lane after a clever turn, Taylor had the chance to pull a goal back in the pursuit of a turnaround.
Moors’ number nine passed up the chance, firing straight down the middle as Weaver took the plaudits from the home support.
Leamington’s keeper was called into action ten minutes from time and pulled off two unbelievable saves to further frustrate Spennymoor.
First, he denied Ramshaw’s flicked header after McLean’s fizzing cross, before he got down to deny Jamie Chandler’s low strike.
However, he could do nothing as Moors finally pulled a goal back six minutes from time. Substitute Frank Mulhern was the creator, crossing for Ramshaw to head in via the post.
The game was being played exclusively in Leamington’s half as Moors piled on the pressure in desperate search of a deserved equaliser, but Mulhern saw two powerful shots blocked before Anderson’s shot was deflected into the side netting.
Leamington: Weaver, Meredith, Morley, Clarke, Morrison, Lane, Kelly-Evans, Maye, Mooney, Edwards (C), Turner.
Spennymoor Town: Eve, Lufudu, Curtis (c), Tait, McLean, Chandler, Abbott, Anderson, Thompson (Mulhern) Ramshaw, Taylor.
Subs not used: Flatters, Magnay, Moke, Kennedy.