- Smith shown straight red card for denying Thewlis obvious goal scoring opportunity
- Taylor prods in opener following Anderson free-kick
- Anderson hits stunning long range strike to confirm three points for Moors
Attendance: 832
Chorley 0
Smith sent off 42
Spennymoor Town 2
Taylor 61
Anderson 85
A stunning Mark Anderson strike secured three points as Moors’ recent run of impressive form continued at ten man Chorley.
Glen Taylor opened the scoring following Harvey Smith’s first half dismissal, before Anderson sealed victory with a moment of individual brilliance.
Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley made one alteration from the side that began at Farsley, with Kenton Richardson returning from injury to replace Ryan Hall.
Moors forced the first effort of the evening when Taylor span away from his marker before firing a shot wide of Matt Urwin’s post.
Chorley saw a penalty appeal turned away moments later when Connor Hall hurdled challenges from Joe Tait and Jordan Amissah, however, no contact was made.
There was little quality on show in the opening 25 minutes, with Willem Tomlinson’s long ranger the only effort of note.
Scott Leather soon came to Chorley’s rescue when he diverted Rob Ramshaw’s cross away from a cluster of praying Moors bodies in the area following a superb spell of possession.
The pressure from Moors began to grow as Chorley retreat into their own area, with Taylor seeing a goal bound strike deflected wide.
The Magpies lifted a relatively flat crowd five minutes before the interval when winger Jon Ustabsi cut inside and swerved a shot past the post.
Moors found themselves with a man advantage with two minutes of the first half to go, changing the outlook of the contest.
The non-stop pressing of Jordan Thewlis caught Smith napping, and when Moors’ striker nicked the ball and ran down on goal, Smith’s pull of the shirt gave the referee no alternative.
Thewlis had Moors’ first chance of the second period when he collected Anderson’s superb cross field pass, but he fired a strike over the bar.
Anderson, who almost claimed an assist, then tried his luck from distance but could only hit the advertising boards behind Urwin’s goal.
Spennymoor continued to probe, seeing a corner skim off the head of Taylor, however, Chorley’s brave resistance soon buckled under the mounting pressure.
Anderson was the architect, fizzing a low free-kick to the front post, and when Urwin could only parry inside the six yard area, Taylor was quickest to pounce and poked in.
The Magpies’ openings were few and far between, but a set-piece from substitute Ollie Shenton almost fell to a black and white shirt a few yards out.
Just as the home side could sense a possible route back into the game, the excellent Anderson confirmed the three points for Spennymoor with a contender for goal of the season.
The midfielder picked up the ball in space from 25-yards before arrowing a fierce drive which nestled in the top corner, sparking jubilant scenes on the Moors bench.
Second half sub Ryan Hall was then played in by Luke Spokes as the game entered stoppage time, but the winger scuffed his shot high and wide.
Chorley: Urwin, Halls, Leather (C), Smith, Blakeman (Shenton), Tomlinson, Calveley, Whitehouse (Baines), Sampson, Hall (Alli), Ustabasi.
Subs not used: Blyth.
Spennymoor Town: Amissah, Pye, Tait, Curtis (C), Richardson, Anderson (Hall), Spokes, Ramshaw, Preston (Oyibo), Taylor, Thewlis (Ofosu).
Subs not used: Eve, Mason