Stockton eventually overcame a spirited Spennymoor Town Reserves in yesterdays Wearside League fixture. There were a number of surprises in Stockton’s selection with Captain Stav Roberts and Carlton McCabe dropping to the bench with Tony Johnson and Tom Coulthard coming in.

The game started with very few chances in the first 15 minutes but the game came to life when Michael Arthur in Stockton’s goal had to make a smart save pushing round the post to concede a corner. Stockton went straight to the other end to hit the bar. Spennymoor however took the lead with a fine individual goal on 28 minutes when Spennymoors midfielder picked up a loose ball 30 yards out, attacked Stockton’s penalty area beating 3 challenges as he went and smashed an unstoppable shot past Arthur in Stockton’s goal. Stockton continued to make chances but could not find an equaliser before the break. Stockton’s start to the second half was impressive however, within 10 seconds of the referees whistle Jimmy Ward picked out Chris Stockton cutting in from the left and he fired into the far corner. Spennymoor were finding it ever harder to get out and Stockton had missed a string of chances before Jimmy Ward chased down a ball into the right channel, beat the defender, slipped into Carlton McCabe who finished in some style from the edge of the box to give Stockton a deserved lead on 67 minutes. The game was now getting ever more tetchy and a number of bookings followed before that man James Ward made the game safe for Stockton on 88 minutes with a finish from outside the box into the far corner.