Spennymoor endured an afternoon to forget as they finished with nine men in defeat to Gloucester.

Goals either side of half-time from Oliver Hulbert and Matt McClure gave the home side three points, but the contest will be remembered for an on-field altercation which spilled out onto the touchline.

The result was a red card for goal scorer McClure after a bite on Brad Abbott, with the Moors midfielder also recieiving his marching orders.

Carl Magnay was the other Moors player to see red for his reaction to the incident, while Manager Tommy Miller was sent to the stands after the referee had consulted with his two officials.

Miller named the same side that played the full 90 minutes against Chorley, but unlike Tuesday evening, Moors failed to create chances in a flat display.

It was Gloucester who came closest throughout the first period, with Hulbert seeing his low shot saved well by Dale Eve, before Moors’ keeper tipped Kevin Dawson’s long range effort around the post.

Jamie Chandler had Spennymoor’s clearest sight of goal in the first 45 minutes, but Jake Cole easily collected his effort.

The complexion of the game changed five minutes before the break when Eve fumbled Hulbert’s header from a deep cross, allowing the ball to squirm over the line.

A reaction was needed after the interval, with Abbott coming close when he forced Cole into a save five minutes after the restart.

However, Gloucester posed a persistent threat, and after Eve failed to deal with a high cross, McClure prodded in a scrappy second which crept over the line.

The game then broke out into a brawl as McClure inexplicably bit Abbott, leading to a mass of players from both sides clashing in front of the referee.

After taking minutes to discuss the incident with both linesman, Matthew Scholes decided to send off McClure, Magnay and Abbott, before he showed Miller to the stands due to his reaction.

A flurry of yellow cards followed, with the end result seeing Moors with nine men and Gloucester with ten.

The game as a contest ended after play resumed, with Glen Taylor going close with a free-kick shortly before eight minutes of added time.