Spennymoor 8 Halesowen 2.

Spennymoor started their Buildbase FA Trophy campaign with a real bang when they hammered Halesowen Town 8-2 at the Brewery Field on Saturday.

Not many clubs will fancy a visit to the Brewery Field with Moors in this mood, as they seek to emulate their run to the Trophy quarter final last season.

After a tricky first 20 minutes when they conceded twice, Moors destroyed the EvoStik League side by half time, and the visitors were fortunate that they didn’t concede double figures, so clinical were Moors with their finishing, especially through Adam Boyes.

Manager Jason Ainsley said; “It was a real polished performance, one that the players can be really proud of.

“There was some brilliant attacking, with some superb goals scored.

“We could have scored ten. I thought Alex Kempster should have been given a penalty, and we missed a couple of chances in the second half.

“I was a bit worried in the first twenty minutes though, because defensively we were all over the place and we conceded twice. We warned the players about taking Halesowen for granted before the game, and look what happened. But I can’t complain too much after a performance like that.

“I was delighted that Adam scored a first half hat trick. He could have had five, because he had another cleared off the line, and another just went over the bar. He’s proved once again that he’s a natural finisher.

“Alex Kempster also came on and did well, and I really thought that he was going to score on his debut. How the referee didn’t give him a penalty when he was brought down, I don’t know.”

There wasn’t much indication that Moors were going to win as comfortably as they did, after they went behind twice in the opening twenty minutes.

They went a goal down after just 7 minutes, when Jack Kelly broke away and set up Danny Bragoli to turn the ball home from a few yards.

But Moors soon levelled, when Andy Johnson opened up the EvoStik League side’s defence for Boyes to swivel and slot past the keeper.

Halesowen went back in front again when Lewis Reilly held off James Curtis and fired home past Mattie Gould.

Moors were level again though midway through the half when Rob Ramshaw just managed to flick a through ball with the outside of his right foot over the head of the advancing keeper, and on 24 minutes Andy Johnson and Glen Taylor opened up the Halesowen defence nicely for Boyes to sidefoot home with his left foot.

Boyes was denied his hat trick by a good save, but his big moment came along on 38 minutes when Shane Henry took on the Halesowen defence on the left and pulled the ball back low for him to score from just a couple of yards out.

Moors kept the momentum going, and they were 5-2 up three minutes before half time, when Ramshaw crossed from the right for Taylor to rise and head home at the far post.

Shaun Tuton then scored his first goal for Moors since he joined two months ago, when he ran at the defence on the right, wrongfooted his marker and beat the keeper all ends up.

The second half, not surprisingly. was nowhere near as hectic, and Ainsley took the opportunity to send on new loan signing Alex Kempster from York for the last half hour.

No sooner had he come on, then he broke clean through and seemed to be brought down by a defender, but the referee waved play on.

Moors moved up a gear for the last five minutes. Halesowen defender Kyle Morris neatly headed a left wing cross past his own keeper under pressure, and a minute later the unfortunate defender was shown a red card for a foul.

Ramshaw then finished off an excellent afternoon for Moors when he fired home from the edge of the box.

The draw for the first round proper will be held at lunchtime today with the National League clubs now in the competition. Moors will be joined by Blyth Spartans, who beat Marske United 4-1, but not by South Shields, who were beaten 2-1 at Stratford.

Spennymoor.

Gould, Hibbs, Henry, Chandler (sub Williams 71), Atkinson, Curtis, Tuton (sub Hall 71), Ramshaw, Taylor (sub Kempster 63), Boyes, Johnson Subs: Elliott, Thackray.

Attendance 502 .