Shropshire Star

Report and pics of AFC Telford v Spennymoor

AFC Telford United needed an improvement after Saturday's dismal display against Spennymoor - and Liam Watson's men duly delivered in the replay.

Published

Having somehow salvaged a 2-2 draw in Durham on Saturday, thanks to late goals from Adam Farrell and Mike Grogan, they exerted far more authority at the New Bucks Head tonight.

It was not all plain sailing for the hosts in this FA Cup replay, who play their league football three divisions higher up the English football pyramid than the Moors.

But Grogan's brace and a Farrell strike did the damage as Telford also recorded a first clean sheet of the season.

Watson unsurprisingly made four changes from the XI which underperformed so badly on Saturday.

Luton Town loanee Andy Parry returned to the heart of defence, having shaken off a foot injury, with Kristian Platt making way.

And all three of Telford's substitutes from the weekend - Farrell, Sean Cooke and Josh Hancock - were rewarded for their solid displays from the bench with starts.

Jordan Deacey, Sam Smith and Tony Gray moved to the bench to accommodate the trio.

Surprisingly, the visitors named midfielder Gavin Cogdon, who was Telford's chief tormentor at the weekend, on the bench in favour of Michael Roberts in an otherwise unchanged side.

The Bucks made a quicker start than they had just three days earlier and Moors' goalkeeper Adam McHugh did not look confident as punched clear a testing Sean Clancy corner inside five minutes.

It was a night for testing goalkeepers early and often, given the slippery conditions, but Roberts failed woefully to do so with a badly sliced long range effort at the other end.

A driving run by Mike Grogan earned the Bucks a free-kick just on the edge of the area seven minutes later.

And Telford had a debatable penalty shout turned down when Sean Cooke's rasping drive appeared to strike an arm in the crowded box.

Referee John Brooks rightly ruled ball to hand but the hosts almost went ahead soon afterwards when Ryan Higgins' deep cross almost caught out McHugh at the far post.

The Moors goalkeeper just managed to tip the ball over his bar and the same man then did very well to deny Farrell's close range effort at the near post.

The Bucks kept the pressure on and Grogan struck the side netting after meeting a well-placed Higgins cross to the far post.

Grogan was looking particularly lively and he should have opened the scoring when he was given a free header from Rod McDonald's searching delivery into the box soon afterwards.

Instead he could only nod straight at McHugh who grasped the ball gratefully into his midriff.

Spennymoor were struggling to make an impact but they had Bucks goalkeeper Jonathan Hedge back-peddling when a deflected cross which he tipped over the bar.

Joe Tait rightly went into the book from the corner-kick though after he shamelessly tried to handle the ball into the net for the visitors.

Still it was Telford who were making most of the running though and Farrell went agonisingly close when he pounced on a defensive slip on the half hour.

McHugh saved the initial effort and the rebound was just scrambled off the line having ricocheted back off the striker.

With half time approaching Sean Cooke looked to have broken the deadlock with a rasping free kick which just dipped wide late on but the teams trailed in level at the break.

Anthony Peacock gave Telford a scare early in the second half when he curled just wide following a defensive error, only for the effort to be flagged offside.

But Cooke should have opened the scoring with a low drive which missed the post by inches following good work from Hancock and Higgins soon afterwards.

McDonald then saw a close range effort blocked near the line but Liam Henderson should have at least hit the target for the visitors on the turn as the game became stretched.

And Telford punished that miss when Grogan nodded home from Hancock's excellent right wing cross on 56 minutes.

But Spennymoor were not yet beaten and Tait was inches away from an immediate equaliser when he rattled the cross bar with a terrific free kick from 20 yards with 23 minutes remaining.

And only Higgins' well-timed clearance prevented the visitors finding the net from Henderson's dangerous cross.

From the corner-kick Hedge made a vital save at the far post and then denied Henderson on the rebound, as the Moors turned the screw.

The Bucks had been wasteful throughout, but as they had at the Brewery Field, they grabbed two late goals to put some gloss on the scoreline.

Grogan grabbed a deserved second of the evening from Clancy's 81st minute corner-kick and then Farrell beat the offside trap to slot home a third two minutes later to complete the job.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.