Spennymoor Town FC’s reward for a stunning FA Trophy quarter final win at National League Sutton United is a trip to Rochdale where one more win will take the Moors to Wembley.
Glen Taylor scored twice as Moors kept their Wembley dreams alive with a superb win at the VBS Community Stadium.
The game began with Sutton dominating in possession. However, the hosts were unable to take advantage of any of it against a resolute and organised Moors line-up.
Just before the opening goal, the hosts forced a brilliant diving save out of Brad James, who sprung to his right to claw away Will Davies’ powerful header.
But it was Moors who took the lead on 15 minutes through talisman Taylor, as the front man plucked a lofted ball from Ben Beals out of the air before leathering a volley below Jack Sims into the Sutton net and sending the 161 Moors faithful in the 1,578 crowd into raptures.
Sutton couldn’t get themselves into the swing of things as Moors confidence continued to grow.
Corey McKeown came close to doubling Moors’ advantage just after the half hour mark.
Reece Staunton lofted a ball deep into the area, where McKeown took a touch before unleashing a volley from close range. However, Sims was on hand to prevent the goal, palming the ball away for a corner.
Confidence was surging through the side, and they came close yet again just before the interval.
It was Dan Rowe that almost prodded Moors into a two-goal advantage this time as the ball bounced around in the six-yard box.
The big centre half looked to get a touch to try and force it home, but Sims was there yet again to claim it.
Moors opened the second half with continued promise as Taylor got into space down the right, but was unable to pick out a teammate in the area.
The hosts drove up the pitch at the other end and almost found an equaliser through Josh Coley.
A deep ball to the back post from half-time substitute, Dillon De Silva found the winger, but his effort was denied by the diving head of Ben Beals on the line.
With time ebbing away, the home side began to throw the kitchen sink at Moors with Staunton forced into a goal line clearance.
Just as it looked like Sutton’s relentless pressure might tell, that man again, Glen Taylor was there, six minutes from time, to settle the tie in Moors’ favour.
This time he sneaked in behind the home defence to get on the end of an inviting ball from Staunton, which bamboozled Sims as the striker clipped a cute finish past the keeper at the front post to confirm Moors’ place in the FA Trophy semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history.
Moors will now travel to face Rochdale, currently 9th in the National League and the highest ranked side left in the tournament, on Saturday 5th April.
Three days after their famous win, Moors further celebrated their achievement in front of a 2,088 crowd at The Brewery Field with a 2-1 derby win against Darlington, leapfrogging their local rivals in the National League North table in the process.
A second half blitz was enough to send the visitors packing on a cold night as Moors took the honours in the clash of County Durham.
Olly Dyson opened the scoring just before the hour as he chipped a shot over Pete Jameson. And Moors grabbed their second just five minutes later as Aidan Rutledge volleyed impressively home.
With the game deep into stoppage time, Moors handed the Quakers a brief lifeline when Hazeem Bakre was bundled over in the box.
However, the penalty, converted by Caden Kelly proved no more than late consolation for the 433 travelling fans.
Moors now sit in 11th place in the league table, albeit just nine points from the play-offs with three games in hand. However, three other sides lie between them and what would be an unlikely achievement this season.
Many would undoubtedly have said the same about the FA Trophy, yet Moors find themselves 90 minutes from walking on to the hallowed turf of Wembley.
Before then, however, Moors host Peterborough Sports this weekend before a trip to Buxton on Tuesday and Kings Lynn the following weekend – all sides they must overcome if they are to reach this season’s play-offs.
Indeed in a packed March schedule, Moors will play another seven games before that eagerly anticipated semi-final comes round.
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
