Play it again Sam sinks Spenny
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH COUNTY ............................ 1 SPENNYMOOR TOWN .... 0
SAM Walker proved to be the Hatters’ hero once again, scoring the winner for the second league game running in a vital 1-0 win over Spennymoor Town at Edgeley Park on Saturday.
A record-breaking crowd of 6,311 - the highest ever in the sixth tier of English football - sat in attendance as Walker curled home a teasing second-half free-kick, to move The Hatters within a win of top spot in the National League North.
Boss Jim Gannon watched on from the stands as he served the final game of a controversial three-match touchline ban, which the club announced that Gannon had been refused the opportunity to appeal against by the Football Association earlier in the week.
The club cited the FA’s “delay in providing written reasoning for the ban” as their inability to submit an appeal despite “fully supporting” Gannon who made five changes from the side which superbly swept aside National League Maidstone Utd on the Tuesday prior.
A brace that evening from Jake Kirby, followed by a late Jordan Keane header, saw The Hatters progress into the semifinals of the FA Trophy, and Gannon rang the changes as National League North action returned to Edgeley Park.
A persistent knock saw left-back Scott Duxbury ruled out of the crunch tie with third-placed Spennymoor, with Lewis Baines deputising - whilst the returning Jamie Stott, who rejoined the club from Oldham on a third loan spell in two seasons, started at centre-back.
Frank Mulhern and Paul Turnbull both dropped to the bench, with Nyal Bell and Sam Minihan recalled to the starting line-up in Gannon’s favoured 4-3-2-1 formation.
The hosts, who would move four points ahead of their opposition with a win, were dealt a blow moments before kick-off when Adam Thomas limped out of the warmup to be replaced in the starting eleven by Elliot Osborne.
Gannon remarked afterwards that he had been expecting a “riproaring game of football”, but much of the afternoon saw a cagey affair between the two title-chasers.
County enjoyed most of the possession in the opening stages without really testing Moors stopper Gould, whilst Jason Ainsley’s visitors slowly eased their way into the tie.
After leading marksman Matty Warburton has gone close from an Osborne corner, stinging the palms of Gould with a fierce left-footed volley tipped away from danger, the away side began to threaten.
Moments after winning their first corner, County captain Ash Palmer - who enjoyed arguably his best performance in a Hatters shirt since his move from Guiseley last summer headed defender Jack Harrison’s goalbound header over the crossbar, before Palmer came to the rescue again by hacking Andrew Johnson’s low strike off the goalline.
In truth, half-time came at the best possible time for the home side and the worst possible time for the Moors who had stepped it up a gear after the half-hour mark, but the sides went in level as Gannon raced down from the directors box to lead the team-talk at the interval.
In a tense second half, it was the Hatters who showed more intent to win the game against a side who appeared happy to settle for a battling point on the road in a neck-and-neck title race.
Osborne, who had
struggled in an unnatural right wing position in the first half, instantly looked more dangerous following the restart, whipping in a number of teasing crosses in front of a packed Cheadle End.
Neither goalkeeper was particularly overworked throughout much of the half, although Palmer was again on hand to brilliantly deny Ainsley’s men the lead when he dived in to block the league’s leading goalscorer Glen Taylor from close range.
With just over fifteen minutes to play, set-piece expert Walker followed up on his match-winning heroics against Southport two weeks ago by curling home a long-range freekick which crept inside the far post.
The free-kick in the build-up had been awarded for handball against Spennymoor midfielder Chandler, and just minutes later all eyes were on a handball decision not awarded.
Goalscorer Walker tracked back to block a Rob Ramshaw cross which appeared to loop up into Walker’s arm, leading to vociferous protests from the visitors.
Referee Smith waved away the appeals, with replays showing that the offence had occurred just outside the penalty area.
The Hatters battled through the remaining ten minutes to earn a crucial three points, setting a club record twenty-two games unbeaten in all competitions in the process.
And despite a late Chorley leveller at Darlington, the win gave County the opportunity to move top of the table for the first time since the opening day of the season if they could beat Boston United on Tuesday evening as the Express went to print.