Spennymoor Town’s latest pre-season friendly outing ended in defeat as Coalville Town snatched a late winner at The Brewery Field.
The game looked destined to finish goalless as time rolled on but visiting winger Tendai produced a moment of quality to settle the affair inside the final ten minutes.
A high tempo start to the game saw both sides attempting to get on the front foot and it was arguably the visitors who looked the more threatening during the opening exchanges.
Rob Ramshaw had the first sniff of an opportunity for Moors when he ghosted into some space on the left side of the penalty area, but Coalville defended it well and danger evaporated.
James Curtis had to be alert to produce a timely block to prevent Tim Berridge’s shot finding the target, while Tom McGlinchey came even closer for the away side when his low drive cracked the outside of the post.
Jude Oyibo took matters into his own hands moments later when a spectacular winding run saw him drift past three Coalville defenders before being pulled down on the edge of the area. Glen Taylor let fly from the resultant free kick, but his ferocious effort thudded back off the bar.
Coalville winger Tendai found space to shoot from the edge of the box but couldn’t generate the power to trouble Max Metcalf in the Moors goal before Mark Anderson tried his luck with a long-range free kick only to see it fall just wide.
Moors made three changes at the break and came out looking lively – Oyibo could have opened the scoring when he arrived onto a low ball into the box, but he struck his shot too high under pressure.
Half time substitute Jordan Preston did well to free Danny Greenfield down the right and he lined up a great cross for the arriving Taylor, but his looping header was safely held by Coalville keeper Paul White down to his left.
Ramshaw came close to breaking the deadlock when he collected a half-cleared corner on the edge of the box, but his curling effort was turned away from the top corner by keeper White.
However, it was the visitors who found the route to goal when the ball was worked forward to the dangerous Tendai on the left corner of the box, and he turned cleverly before drilling a precise finish low into the far bottom corner of the net.
Taylor had a chance to bring Moors level in the dying seconds when he found some space on the left of the area but again White was alert and blocked the front man’s shot.
Full Time: Spennymoor Town 0 Coalville Town 1
Spennymoor Town: Metcalfe, Lufudu (Anderson 63), Duxbury (Short 67), Curtis (Cummings 46), Tait, Wheatley (Ramshaw 63), Greenfield, Oyibo, Ramshaw (Trialist 46), Anderson (Preston 46), Taylor.
Subs not used: Flatters, Thewlis.
Attendance: 364
