- Johnson and Morley in charge for first time
- Thompson comes closest in tight first half
- Chandler nets winner thirteen minutes from time
Attendance: 691
Radcliffe FC 0
Spennymoor Town 1
Chandler 77
Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley’s reign as Joint-Managers got off to a winning start thanks to a late goal from Jamie Chandler at Radcliffe.
A scrappy cup was decided with thirteen minutes to go as Chandler drove a shot past Cameron Belford to fire Moors into the Fourth Round of the FA Trophy.
Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley made four changes to the side who defeated Chester a week ago as they named their first Moors team.
The defensive pairing of captain James Curtis and Joe Tait returned from injury and suspension respectively, with Kenton Richardson shifting to right back in a new look 4-4-2 formation.
Adriano Moke replaced the unavailable Luke Spokes, while Harry Flatters began in goal in place of Dale Eve.
A new dawn got underway but took a while to spark into life in a tight and cagey first half.
Rob Ramshaw had an early penalty appeal turned away with a minute on the clock, before his pass almost set up Jamie Chandler for the opener five minutes later.
The home side proved a stubborn and organised unit and restricted Moors to half chances, with Stephen Thompson’s header the closest either side came in the first 45 minutes.
The second half continued in a similar vein, however, Radcliffe began to pose more of an attacking threat with two half chances which had Flatters worried.
As the game ticked towards the hour mark Morley opted to replace Thompson with Frank Mulhern in an attempt to find the elusive opening goal.
Mulhern was involved as Moors came close to the opener twenty minutes from time, with his pass teeing up Taylor who’s goal bound shot was superbly blocked by Jo Cummings.
It took the introduction of Mark Anderson, who has just returned from a month’s loan at Marske United, to find the spark that was missing.
The midfielder’s dinked ball over the top found Ramshaw, and he teed up Chandler who drove a low shot under the body of Cameron Belford.
Radcliffe FC: Belford, Crothers, Miller, Thornley, Cummings, Lenighan, Taylor, Baxter, Spinelli, Gribbin, Hall.
Spennymoor Town: Flatters, Richardson, Tait, Curtis (C), McLean, Hall (Mulhern), Moke, Chandler, Thompson (Anderson), Taylor, Ramshaw (Kennedy).
Subs not used: Eve, Mason, Lufudu.