Spennymoor 0 Lancaster City 0.

Spennymoor are within touching distance of the play offs after they drew 0-0 with Lancaster City at the Brewery Field tonight – and when, not if, they get there, they will be missing key midfielder Anthony Peacock.

The former Darlington player was dismissed for retaliation ten minutes from the end, which means that both he and keeper Adam McHugh will be banned for the play off games.

Lancaster were much better than in their 3-0 defeat at Darlington a month ago.

The first real chance of the game fell after 9 minutes to Lancaster’s Garry Hunter, when the former Morecambe midfielder picked up a throw in on the corner of the Moors box and hit a right foot shot towards the top left corner of the net, but Moors keeper Adam McHugh managed to palm the ball away.

Moors nearly took the lead on 12 minutes when Robert Briggs ran on to the ball on the right side, spotted keeper Mike Hale off his line and tried to lob him, but the ball dropped just over the bar.

Moors had a better chance on 21 minutes when Andrew Stephenson set up Kallum Griffiths on the edge of the area, but the full back sidefooted straight at Hale.

Moors grew in confidence and nearly took the lead on 25 minutes when Michael Roberts burst into the box on the right and hit a right foot shot across Hale which the keeper saved at full stretch.

But Lancaster, who looked a better team than they did at Darlington earlier this year, slowly stifled Moors until just before the break when Roberts got on the end of a right wing cross, but Hale blocked with his feet.

Moors were forced into a change at half time, with the injured Stephenson being replaced by Nathan Fisher, who had a 25 yard attempt at goal on 50 minutes that went just over.

Fisher injected some life into Moors, and he struck another 25 yarder on the hour that Hale fumbled, and in their next attack Hale pulled off a flying save from Peacock.

But Lancaster broke clear and almost scored twice within a minute, with McHugh saving from Reece Pearce and Simon Wearing.

However, Moors lifted themselves for the last 15 minutes. Kallum Griffiths had a 25 yards free kick deflected into the keeper’s hands, but then they had Anthony Peacock red carded for retaliation after he was tackled by Josh Draycott and Hunter.

Despite the man disadvantage, Moors nearly scored in the last minute when Henderson broke into the box, Hale parried his low shot, and John McReady following up, hit the base of the post.

Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley said; “We’re disappointed not to pick up all three points. Only one team wanted to win the game from the outset.

“I have no grumbles about the sending off, but Peaks didn’t get any protection at all from the referee. I thought he was fouled for a penalty in the first half.”

Spennymoor: McHugh, Griffiths, Mason, Briggs (sub Dodds 80), Tait, Capper, Stephenson (sub Fisher 45), Henry, Henderson, Roberts (sub McReady 75), Peacock.

Subs not used: Johnson, Cogdon.

Lancaster: Hale, Bailey, Freeland, Davis, Marshall, Hunter, Winder, Akrigg, Wearing, Pearce (sub Draycott 68), Clark.

Subs not used: Hoyle, Sinclair, Donlon.

Referee: M Edwards.