Spennymoor Town manager Jason Ainsley is hoping that their FA Trophy exploits haven’t taken too much out of them when Kidderminster Harriers come to the Brewery Field in the Vanarama National League North today.

Moors pulled off one of the best cup results in their history when they won 5-2 at East Thurrock in midweek, coming back from an early goal down with ten men to reach the quarter finals, in which they’ll play Bromley in a fortnight’s time.

While everyone was elated with an excellent result, they didn’t get back to Darlington Station where they’d left their cars for the outward train journey until nearly four in the morning, and some players had another hour’s travel after that. Moors had taken the train southwards, and then a bus took them across to Essex. The same bus brought them home straight after the game.

Manager Jason Ainsley said; “The players couldn’t have done any more to get time off work for an away game in Essex, it showed how strong their commitment is. It was a real collective effort by the club and the players to get there and then pull off a fantastic result against an established National South club that reached the first round proper of the FA cup not long ago. There were 50 of our fans at the game, so all in all, it shows the togetherness at the club.

“I think we learned from the first game, whereas Thurrock thought that they’d done the hard part and took us too lightly.

“We made sure that the real Spennymoor turned up, and that’s what must happen today against Kidderminster.

“I believe that they are the best footballing side in the league, which they’ve proved with their recent results and the long unbeaten run that they have.

“We had them watched when they won at Curzon Ashton in midweek, and they maybe should have won by more.

“With Tuesday’s result behind us, we’re going into the game full of confidence, and hopefully the lads have caught up on their sleep. But we won’t be getting carried away, because we know that in football you can be on a high after one game, then you can be on a low after the next game.

“We’re hoping for a bumper crowd, especially as we’re letting fans under the age of 18 in for free.”

Midfielders David Foley and Mark Anderson, who were both missing for the Trophy games, are hoping to pass late fitness tests.

Fourth placed Kidderminster are unbeaten in their last 17 league matches, going all the way back to when they lost 2-1 to Tamworth in September. They’ve won four and drawn six of their away games, and scored only 15 goals away, but conceded just 16.