Spennymoor Town 1 Brighouse 3

Spennymoor’s unbeaten league record came to an end when they were beaten 3-1 at home by fellow promotion challengers Brighouse at the Brewery Field.

But Moors only had themselves to blame for some poor defending throughout the game as they struggled across the pace of Brighouse.

For the second successive game, Moors went an early goal down. In just the second minute, defender Chris Mason was robbed of the ball by Ryan Hall inside the Moors’ penalty area, and Hall drove low across Dan Lowson into the net.

But just as on Saturday, Moors quickly levelled , when Kallum Griffiths found space on the right, and beat Brighouse keeper Paul Hargreen with a cross-cum-shot that Glen Taylor almost got his head to.

Lowson then pulled off two good saves at the other end. First he threw himself at a point blank shot by Daniel Facey as his defence stood still, and from the corner that followed, he blocked Ernest Boafo’s effort on the line.

But Moors had a good chance on 17 minutes when Gavin Cogdon floated a cross over from the left, and Glen Taylor headed into the keeper’s hands.

However, Brighouse exposed more slackness in the Moors defence when Hall made a good run down the right and pulled the ball back for Boafo to hit a right foot shot past Lowson.

Moors nearly levelled again with a powerful header by Taylor, but unfortunately the ball went straight into the keeper’s hands.

However, Moors were caught cold at the start of the second half, when Boafo got in front of his marker and headed a flighted left wing cross by Tom Haigh past the stranded Lowson.

Shane Henry nearly got a goal back immediately, but his header from six yards out was cleared off the line.

But another Moors mistake nearly saw them concede a fourth when Lowson’s clearance went straight to Facey, and his return shot from 35 yards seemed to be going into the open goal, but the ball struck the post.

Joe Tait saw a ten yarder well saved by Hagreen, but Moors left the back door open as they pushed forward, and Lowson pulled off a good save to deny Ryan.

Spennymoor: Lowson, Griffiths, Mason, Dodds, Tait, Capper, Stephenson (sub Risbrough 70), Henry, Taylor (sub Fisher 84), Cogdon (sub Henderson 65), Peacock Subs not used: Johnson, Kerr.