Spennymoor Town (Home): NL Division 1: Wednesday 17th Aug 2011

Result: Marske United 1 Spennymoor Town 1

Scorer: Danny Brunskill

Marske made three changes from the opening day victory at Tow Law Town.  Adam Wheatley made his debut for the club at the back in place of Micky Waller, Adam Gell replaced the injured Anthony Ormerod in midfield, whilst John Burton was preferred to Karl Charlton who dropped to the bench.

Spennymoor included a whole host of the regions best players in their squad but had to make a last minute change when striker Gavin Cogdon got injured during the warm up.

The game got underway at a frantic pace with Marske starting positively, and in the first minute Rob Jones crossed for McGill to head narrowly wide.

Good play again by Jones on six minutes down the right wing saw him get past two men before being crowded out just as he was about to pull the trigger.

‎On 12 minutes tricky little Spenny winger Craig Ruddy tried to break away down the right but was taken clean out by United captain Dom Gamble, who was lucky to escape with just a talking to.

Marske had a let off as Town went close on 21 minutes when the experienced Keith Graydon fired in a wicked swerving cross from the left.  The ball smacked off the far left hand post with Jonathan McDonald clutching thin air.

Moors went close three further times in the next five minutes with a goal looking inevitable.  Anthony Peacock fizzed a thunderous shot narrowly wide with McDonald again looking beaten, Graydon next had a good low cross into the six yard box hacked clear and then last seasons Shildon captain Danny Moore sent a header straight at McDonald.

‎On the half hour mark Marske went close at the other end when Danny Brunskill set himself up to fire a venomous shot on target that had to be tipped over the bar by Craig Turns.

Adam Johnston was next to go close on 36 minutes with a shot from the edge of the penalty area but McDonald got down well to his left to save.

After backing into three defenders before theatrically falling to the deck on 43 minutes, Brunskill was awarded a free kick for Marske 22 yards from goal on the right side of the box.  After dusting himself down, the big striker stepped up to take the kick and gave Turns absolutely no chance of stopping it as the ball flew like a missile straight into the top corner, giving Marske the lead.

‎There was still time left in the half for two further chances.  Michael Laws headed just over the bar on 45 minutes and at the other end McGill cracked a shot from distance just over the bar.

Half-time:  Marske United 1 v 0 Spennymoor Town

The visitors came out for the start of the second half with all guns blazing, but after numerous forays forward took until the 56^th minute to equalise when a dangerous low cross from the far right straight across the face of our goal was stabbed home from a few yards out by the unmarked Laws.

1-1 and now battle stations as Marske continued to be put under the cosh with the champions going rampantly in search of a second goal.

Marske were given a let off on the hour mark when Ruddy was guilty of a dreadful miss, shooting high and wide from 10 yards in the centre of goal.

The Marske penalty area resembled the Alamo as Moors continued to attack, but Roberts and Wheatley were on hand to hack several chances clear.

On 74 minutes McDonald had to use every sinew of his 6 foot 5 inches to reach a stinging cross shot fired in from Spennymoor’s right side, the big man just tipping the shot over the bar brilliantly.

The away side again went close just a minute later when a bullet header from Johnston saw John Seaton do brilliantly to head clear off our line at the near post, with McDonald out of the equation.

‎Spennymoor threw everything they had at the home side who were given a brief respite on 85 minutes as McGill almost worked his way through on goal, but a last ditch challenge won a corner.

‎Paul Robson came on for his Marske United debut on 88 minutes, and the home side were given some anxious moments as the referee signalled for five minutes of extra time.

But the defence held firm, and just as McGill broke away clean through into the Spennymoor half in the 95^th minute, the referee blew for full-time to earn Marske an incredibly hard fought point against the odds on title favourites.

Full-time:  Marske United 1 v 1 Spennymoor Town

Teams:

Marske United:  McDonald, Seaton, Gamble, Gell, Wheatley, Roberts, Jones (Bradley), Cochrane, Brunskill (Charlton), McGill, J.Burton (Robson).  Not Used:  Thompson, Donachie

Spennymoor Town:  Turns, Harwood, Mason (Capper), Dodds, Foster, Laws, Ruddy, Moore, Johnston, Peacock (Garvie), Graydon.  Not Used:  Griffiths, Smith, Alexander.

Match Sponsors M/O/M:  Danny Brunskill