Spennymoor Town 2 - 1 Kendal Town

BIG spenders Spennymoor Town snatched victory with the last kick of the game against Kendal in atrocious weather conditions at Brewery Field on Tuesday night.

The first-half was a tight affair with few glaring chances for both sides but it was the home side who took on the lead on the stroke of the half-time whistle through Shane Henry.

Debutant Jamie Colebourn, once on the books with Morecambe's Youth Team, deservedly levelled shortly after the break and despite piling on the pressure themselves, there was late heartbreak for a plucky Kendal side when Joe Tait won it for Spennymoor in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Manager Michael Stringfellow made a raft of changes to the side that suffered a 2-1 reverse at Scarborough last weekend.

Skipper Warren Beattie returned to the starting 11 in place of Kieran Walmsley, Ricky Mercer came in for George Mason, Jeff King for Zach Clark and Colebourn for Nick Rogan, who has left the club to work in Germany.

It was a lack lustre first 25 minutes before Kendal nearly took the lead when Lydon Hodgkiss sent hitman Connerton racing clear into the area, but keeper Adam McHugh came quickly off his line and saved at his feet.

There were a string of long range shots at each end that failed troubled the keepers and also a scuffle involving several players that ended with Moors’ Andrew Stephenson and King being booked by referee Lucy May.

Henry fired wide from a 25 yard free-kick and Daniel Groves saw his effort sail over the bar before Spennymoor broke the deadlock.

Kendal failed to clear a corner and the ball fell to the feet of Henry, who composed himself to drill low through a crowd of players past keeper Danny MacDonald.

Stringfellow must have had words in the dressing room at the break as Kendal came out fighting and restored parity 12 minutes after the restart.

Hodgkiss wriggled through a number of players and found a good run by Connerton who ghosted past a defender. The striker unselfishly laid the ball on a plate for Colebourn to slide in at the far post.

Stephenson nearly restored Moors’ lead with a right foot shot from 25 yards that skidded just wide, then Nathan Fisher fired across the face of goal.

But it was Kendal who turned the screw and looked the more likely as they countered with pace.

In the 72nd minute Craig Carney took advantage of a slip and fed Connerton whose long distance drive was tipped around the post before King blazed over from the edge of the box.

Danny Forbes then saw his shot blocked and substitute Clark, who replaced an injured Tommy Watson, saw his effort deflected wide.

Then it was Spennymoor's turn to attack.

Substitute Ian Ward fired straight at MacDonald from a few yards while shots from Ward and Tait were cleared off the line in a frantic finish.

MacDonald pushed a Tait header around the post but from the corner that followed, Henry put the ball into the middle for Tait to fire into the roof of the net with the last action of the match to condemn Kendal to their fourth league defeat on the bounce.