A Glen Taylor double sealed Sutton United’s exit from the Isuzu FA Trophy, with Spennymoor Town coming out the victors at the quarter-final stage.

Taylor gave Spennymoor the lead on the quarter-hour mark after being picked out by a fantastic long ball from Ben Beals, before getting the ball under control with one touch and powering it into the bottom corner with his second.

A swap at half time seemed to inject plenty of intensity in the U’s attack with Dillon De Silva replacing Eduino Vaz, with the Sri Lanka international producing a number of extremely promising openings that forced Spennymoor to twice clear off the line.

However, despite Sutton’s efforts, Taylor once again struck with just six minutes remaining to give them a two-goal cushion, getting on the end of a long through ball before nicking the ball past Sims to secure their place in the semi-final.

Defeat at the hands of Spennymoor brings their FA Trophy journey to an end, and they will be looking to bounce back with another quick turnaround that sees them return to Vanarama National League action with a trip to Solihull Moors on Tuesday night.

Six changes to the starting line-up saw Tyler French, Siju Odelusi and Besart Topallaj miss out due to suspension, while Jack Taylor was cup-tied for the clash with Spennymoor having featured in the FA Trophy earlier on in the season whilst on loan with Hampton & Richmond Borough. In came Ryan Jackson, Josh Coley and Vaz, while Lewis Simper, Ashley Nadesan and Will Davies replaced Dillon De Silva, Nana Boateng and Vinnie Tume from Tuesday’s National League Cup victory over Manchester United.

The visitors almost scored a shock early opener when Jackson gave away possession in a dangerous position, allowing Spennymoor captain Taylor to bear down on goal. The 34-year old found space to send a low cross into the middle where Hayden Muller almost tapped into his own net, but fortunately saw his touch send the ball over the crossbar for a corner.

This was preceded by a glorious chance for Sutton, who were looking to grab a foothold of proceedings. Nadesan did well on the right flank to find space for a cross of his own, picking out Davies in the middle who forced Brad James into a fantastic outstretched save to keep the score level.

It wouldn’t remain goalless for long, however, as Beals sent a superb long ball over the top towards Taylor, who took a touch and calmly volleyed the ball past Jack Sims to give the National League North side the lead.

Taylor nearly scored a second soon after with a speculative drive from the halfway line after Sutton had sloppily given away possession in midfield, but his effort flew aimlessly wide.

With Spennymoor in the ascendancy, the visitors proved tough to break down and Sutton struggled to produce any real clear chances of note as the clock ticked towards the interval. In fact, it was Graeme Lee’s side who went closest next, with Reece Staunton picking out Corey McKeown who struck a powerful volley goalward from close range, with Sims at his best to produce a brilliant point blank save.

With time running out at the end of the first half, the U’s seemed set to go again after the break, but they were able to produce their best chance of the half in the last minute of stoppage time. Lewis Simper’s cross from the left flew as far as Coley at the far post, who took the ball down and teed up the approaching Jackson, who a powerful, fizzing drive that whistled past the far post, and thus brought an end to the opening 45 minutes.

A switch on the flank at the break saw De Silva replace Vaz, and the Sri Lanka international almost had an instant impact on proceedings.

The former Queens Park Rangers man drove down the wing before sending a deep cross towards Coley at the back post, who knocked it back across goal and looked to be creeping over the line for an early leveller, but Beals was somehow able to recover and clear off the line for Spennymoor.

This was followed by another promising attack led by De Silva, who once again raced towards goal before sending a low cross towards Nadesan in the middle, but James was able to get down to gather it before he could get there, preventing a certain tap-in for the on-loan Gillingham man.

Another attacking change saw Alex Woodyard replaced by Jack Wadham on the hour-mark, although it was their counterpart Simper who came close to a leveller moments later. A short corner played to the U’s number eight allowed him to brilliantly evade Callum Ross on the edge of the box, before sending a bending effort towards the near post that was only denied by another excellent outstretched stop from James.

Spennymoor almost then made the hosts pay when Dan Rowe met Matty Dolan’s corner, but Sims was able to gather at the second attempt and keep Sutton alive, allowing them to go up the other end and produce another excellent chance.

De Silva proved to be the danger men since entering the fray, and was once again at the heartbeat of the U’s attacking play, doing well to reach the byline before tapping the ball back across goal, where Nadesan was unable to bury his cutback with Spennymoor somehow able to clear off the line for a second time.

Sutton continued to huff and puff in their search for a goal, but Spennymoor were defending superbly well and frustrating the hosts, to the extent that they closest they came to a second goal came from Dolan attempting to catch Sims out off his line, with his strike from his own half flying wide of the target.

The intent was clear from Morison though, with Coley’s last action of proceedings being a wonderful weaving run that took him to the byline, with his cutback cleared by the visitors, before being replaced by Nana Boateng with nine minutes to go.

The forward wouldn’t have time to stamp his authority on the game though, with a through ball slicing open Sutton’s defence to pick out Taylor, who nicked the ball past Sims to double Spennymoor’s advantage with six minutes remaining, and all but secure their passage into the last four.

Sutton United: Sims; Jackson, Ransom, Muller; Coley (Boateng 81’), Woodyard (Wadham 59’), Barbrook, Vaz (De Silva 46’); Nadesan, Simper; Davies. Subs n/u Kerbey, Tume. Booked: Davies, Woodyard, Wadham

Spennymoor Town: James; Staunton, Ross, Rowe, Beals, Taylor, Mondal (Myers 86’), Dyson, Ledger (Shrimpton 69’), McKeown, Dolan. Subs n/u Johnson, Luck, Rutledge, Huntley. Booked: Ledger

Referee: James Durkin

Attendance: 1,578(161 away)

Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin