It’s quarter-final time in the FA Trophy and FA Vase
THE ROAD to Wembley will go via Spennymoor Town’s Brewery Field with these two sides inseparable at the first attempt.
Moors’ following went home the happiest with their team good value for the draw in a quarter-final that never truly caught alight. Latter stages of national competitions are familiar territory for the National League North outfit and their long-serving manager Jason Ainsley, following the 2013 FA Vase win that preceded their rise up the Pyramid.
“I’m absolutely delighted to limit a team of that quality to very few chances,” Ainsley said. “They were a danger from set-plays, we knew that, and we could have snatched something.
“I thought we were the better side first half, for the away side coming here, we controlled a bit of the football and I’m immensely proud of the performance in front of a tremendous following. We’ve given them something to cling onto and hopefully we will perform even better at home.”
Ainsley has two surviving members of the Vase-winning side and they were thankful to Kallum Griffiths for two goal-saving clearances on the line in each half. The first came from Louis Dennis’ low shot and the other when defender Roger Johnson, who also hit the bar, looked to have broken the deadlock with a powerful header.
Keeper Dan Lowson, making his first start since September, also made a wonderful save low to his right to claw out Brandan Hanlan’s header.
They had chances too, the best when Ryan Hall got in behind the defence where his shot was denied by the legs of David Gregory.
Bromley boss Neil Smith was pleased to be in the hat ahead of a long trip to the north-east for Tuesday’s replay.
“We were very slow starting today,” Smith said, “I don’t know whether the occasion got to the boys a bit, but we are still in it.
“Their keeper pulled off a couple of fantastic saves and they cleared off the line. We’ve been really good up until now, that was probably the worst we’ve played this season.”