Report: Spennymoor Town 2-1 Kettering Town

  • Daly heads in opening goal for visitors
  • Excellent Thewlis leveller shifts momentum in Moors’ favour
  • Taylor becomes all-time leading scorer with free-kick from range
  • Moors to within four points of final play-off place

Attendance: 1202 (57 away)

Spennymoor Town: 2

Thewlis 55

Taylor 77

Kettering Town: 1

Daly 25

Kennedy sent off

Spennymoor moved to within four points of the play-off places on an afternoon which saw Glen Taylor become the club’s all-time leading scorer.

Taylor, level with Gavin Cogdon on 139 goals before the game, struck a free-kick thirteen minutes from time as Moors came from behind to win at The Brewery Field in the league for two months.

The Poppies were ahead at the break courtesy of Liam Daly’s header, but the excellent Jordan Thewlis volleyed in a superb equaliser ten minutes into the second half.

Spennymoor made one change from the side who began the midweek win at Chorley, with the suspended James Curtis being replaced by Ryan Hall.

That meant Kenton Richardson shuffled along to central defence alongside Joe Tait, while Jamie Chandler continued to be missing due to a knee injury sustained in training.

Kettering forced the first opening of the game when a mix up between Tait and Pye allowed Callum Stead a shooting opportunity, but Jordan Amissah was out quickly to deny The Poppies an early advantage.

It took Spennymoor 23 minutes to force Jackson Smith into action, with Thewlis collecting Jordan Preston’s lofted pass before fizzing a shot down the throat of the keeper.

Kettering continued to pose a danger on the counter, but it was a set-piece which was to prove Moors’ downfall moments later.

It was a simple goal in its construction, with towering central defender Daly nodding in at the back post after Amissah came and failed to collect a cross.

The game should have been level, when, after 30 minutes, a deep cross to the far post found left-back Ethan Pye, but the on-loan Stockport defender nodded wide from yards out.

The away side, who started the day a point above Spennymoor, should have doubled their lead when a long throw-in eventually fell to Ty Deacon, but the forward lashed a rushed effort high over the bar.

Mark Anderson, who came into the game on the back of a stunning long range goal at Chorley four days previously, then connected with a high ball but witnessed his volley flash wide of the right hand post.

A flat atmosphere failed to ignite in the early stages at The Brewery Field as Connor Barrett drove through a host of black and white shirts before stinging the gloves of Amissah.

However, a flash of quality saw the game levelled up ten minutes after the restart.

Thewlis, who has been a lively figure since arriving to Spennymoor, caught a ball flush on the volley which nestled in the bottom corner beyond the outstretched arm of Smith.

That timely goal turned the tide and shifted momentum in favour of Moors, with Kettering looking flustered and under sustained pressure for the first spell of the contest.

The Poppies eventually regained composure, but breathed a sigh of relief when Preston’s curling strike flew over the bar.

Kettering had the ball in the net fifteen minutes before the full time whistle when Jordan Crawford connected with Rhys Sharpe’s cross, however, the linesman was quick to raise his flag.

The action soon catapulted to the other end of the pitch, and when Spennymoor won a free-kick 20-yards out on the angle, Taylor could sense an opportunity to net a record breaking goal.

With the help of a slight deflection, Taylor’s free-kick found the far corner to announce his new status as the club’s all-time leading scorer.

There was still time for a red card in an entertaining second half, with Connor Kennedy’s reckless challenge on Rob Ramshaw deemed an instant dismissal.

Moors substitute Jude Oyibo showcased some nifty footwork late on before flashing wide as the icing was almost applied on the cake.

Spennymoor Town : GK Amissah; RB Hall ;CB Tait; CB Richardson; LB Pye; CM Spokes; CM Ramshaw; CM Anderson (Oyibo 78); LW Preston (Ofosu 88) ;ST Taylor ; RW Thewlis.

Subs not used: Flatters, Mason, Hindson.

Kettering Town: GK Jordan Smith;  RB Barrett ;CB Jack Smith (Sherriff 79) CB Daly; CB Chris Smith; LB; Brown; CM Deacon; CM Sharpe; CM Kennedy ©; ST Stead; ST Deacon.

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