Stockport County 1 Spennymoor Town 0.

Spennymoor are determined to bounce straight back after narrowly losing to Stockport in front of the division’s biggest ever crowd at Edgeley Park on Saturday.

Moors played a big part in a thrilling match in front of a big crowd of 6311, but they were beaten by a second half free kick by Sam Walker that had an element of good fortune about it.

Moors manager Jason Ainsley has often pointed to fine margins as decisive factors in matches, and with a touch more luck in front of goal and a favourable penalty decision, then they would be sat in second place this morning, with three successive home games coming up.

Instead, they are four points behind Stockport now, and with Chorley only drawing at Darlington, then they are five points behind the leaders with two games in hand.

“I thought we were good value for a point. I thought that the goal was intended as a cross, but it dropped into the back post. We could have won the game, James Curtis had a header cleared off the line, and their keeper pulled off a good save from an Andy Johnson header. Overall though, defences were on top in the game, and the only way there was going to be a goal was from a setpiece or a moment of brilliance.

“It was a perfect away performance and we could have snatched it, but the ball just didn’t fall for us in the right areas. We went toe-to-toe with them, and there wasn’t a great deal in the game.

“I was delighted with the effort and commitment of the players. I don’t think Stockport really hurt us, I thought we played well, had good organisation and good shape and Stockport didn’t get behind us at all. I though the lads were excellent. We didn’t create a great deal, but we looked a real threat from setplays – it was fine margins, I don’t think there was much in the game at all.

“It wasn’t a pretty game to watch in the first half, and the second half got a lot livelier, but Mattie only had one shot to save, but I can’t recall him having many chances to deal with.

“I thought we should have had a penalty when their lad handballed it. The ref said that their defender had his arms down by his side, but he didn’t look it when I watched it on the video afterwards. The ref gave a free kick against Jamie Chandler for something similar, and that led to their goal. But apart from that, I thought the ref had a great game.

“The lads were down in the dressing room afterwards because they knew that they should have had something from the game – they handled the occasion really well -- but we’ll be up and ready to go on Tuesday night.”

Stockport manager Jim Gannon, who has seen his side beat Spennymoor twice now this season, said; “It was a great win for us. It was a lot tighter than I was expecting. A draw wouldn't have been a bad result for them. But we upped our tempo in the second half.

“There's no luck about the goal, it's a quality ball in and there's always a chance if no-one gets a touch it will go in.'

There was a great atmosphere inside the ground when the match started, and Moors coped well with the occasion and the early pressure.

They nullified Stockport early on, barely allowing them any openings, and waited for a chance to break themselves.

The first real chance came on 30 minutes to Stockport when Elliott Osbourne crossed for Matty Warburton to strike a low shot that Mattie Gould did really well to push away.

Moors had a great spell leading up to the interval. Mark Anderson put a great cross into the six-yard box but nobody could get a touch, then James Curtis had a header from a Stephen Brogan corner cleared off the line.

And with Stockport rocking slightly, Johnson and Glen Taylor almost forced the ball into the bet during a goalmouth scramble.

Moors had to be on their toes at the start of the second half as Stockport piled on the pressure, but again they weathered the storm.

Johnson forced Andy Hinchliffe into a good save, and at the other end Gould pulled off another from Warburton.

Johnson had a header touched over the bar by Hinchliffe as both sides looked for the opener, but unfortunately for Moors, it was Stockport who got it, with a driven free kick from 35 yards out by Sam Walker that flew past everyone into the net.

Moors were furious a few minutes later when a penalty shout for handball against Walker from a Callum Williams cross was turned down, and then Anderson took too long when he was through and a good chance was wasted.

But despite typically battling all the way through to the final whistle, they couldn’t break through and force an equaliser to tip the automatic promotion scales more towards Stockport than themselves.

Moors now have three successive home games coming up – Southport on Tuesday, Guiseley on Saturday, and Bradford Park Avenue on Tuesday week.

Moors: Gould, Williams, Brogan (sub Boyes 79), Chandler, Harrison, Curtis, Anderson (sub Hall 85), Henry, Taylor, Ramshaw, Johnson (sub Tuton 74) Subs not used: Thackray, Elliott In the EvoStik Premier, South Shields remain third after drawing 1-1 with Buxton, while former Middlesbrough striker Bradley Fewster scored twice for Whitby in their 4-1 home win over Basford.

In the EvoStik East, Morpeth are looking good for promotion after winning 3-0 at home to Spalding, while Marske drew 2-2 with Belper.