Brackley Town 3-1 Spennymoor Town Vanarama National League North - Saturday 14th October 2023

Spennymoor missed the chance to go into top spot as Saints took a commanding first half lead with three early goals and never looked back despite a second half rally from the visitors. The win arrests Brackley’s stuttering run of results and moves Gavin Cowan’s side into 8th place.

“First half we were exceptional,” said Cowan. “We haven’t been performing poorly in recent games but haven’t been clinical enough but today we did that. All of our strikers have been working really hard and so I am pleased for Dan Turner to get two goals today. Credit to Spennymoor who threw everything at us in the second half but the lads were resolute in minimising the chances they had.”

Turner netted from close range as defenders failed to clear on 9 minutes after the visitors had started brightly. Turner could have doubled the score on 15 minutes but scuffed his shot wide when well placed. A minute later and the striker did find his second goal of the game put through on goal by Dom McHale and he finished coolly beneath the body of keeper James Montgomery.

Midway through the half Brackley extended the lead further through Danny Newton. Turner played Newton in on the left and he stormed past defenders into the penalty area to finish with a powerful shot past Montgomery.

Glen Taylor struck a free-kick wide of Danny Lewis’ goal and brought a brave save from the keeper diving in amidst flying boots to concede a corner after a second free-kick before half-time.

Brackley also had chances to add to the score-line as Riccardo Calder was foiled close to goal.

Spennymoor came out for a fight-back after the break and reduced the deficit within seven minutes as Rob Ramshaw’s header found the top corner. Spurred on by the goal Lewis Dickman’s side enjoyed a spell of possession putting Brackley’s goal under pressure but the home defence stood firm. Sam Fielding came closest to narrowing Brackley’s lead but Lewis saved with his legs with Fielding one on one.

Having weathered the storm Brackley hit back with a dazzling run by substitute Morgan Roberts and a later claim for a penalty as Roberts went down in the penalty area.

Spennymoor caretaker manager Dickman said, “We were shell shocked. Conceding three goals is not acceptable and they came from school-boy errors. We have had plenty of clean sheets this season and are defensively sound. I can’t blame individual defenders because if we keep the ball they don’t get the chances. We could have self-destructed and conceded five or six but we kept going and actually dominated the second half. At three nil up they sat back and made it difficult for us.”

Brackley Town: Lewis; Lilly, Carline, Dean; Lyttle, Murombedzi, McHale (Roberts 62), Armson, Calder; Turner (Matwasa 78), Newton. Subs unused: Crawford, Gudger, Cross.

Spennymoor Town: Montgomery; Ledger (Ferguson 69), Curtis, Pollock, Staunton; Ross, Fielding (Anderson 82), Ramshaw, Shanks (Mbeka 46); Taylor, Harris. Subs unused: Doherty, McKeown.

Referee: D McCarrick Assistants: Alex Perkin and Jordan Griffiths

Attendance: 689