Former Hartlepool United favourite leads Spennymoor Town to historic FA Trophy final appearance
Spennymoor Town will face Aldershot Town in the FA Trophy final next month.
Former Hartlepool United favourite Graeme Lee will lead Spennymoor Town out at Wembley after they secured a place in next month’s FA Trophy final with a penalty shoot-out win at Rochdale.
Lee’s men had already seen off two of Pools’ National League rivals after sending Boston United and Sutton United out of the competition in earlier rounds to set up Saturday’s visit to the Crown Oil Arena - and they send the Dale packing with a dramatic penalty shoot-out win.
It seemed as if their historic run would end after goals from former Hartlepool forward Devante Rodney and Aidan Barlow came either side of a Finley Shrimpton equaliser to give the hosts a lead that remained in place until the fifth minute of second-half injury-time. However, a dramatic equaliser from on-loan Gateshead striker Aidan Rutledge ensured the tie would be settled by the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.
After a perfect nine spot-kicks had been taken, on-loan Derby County goalkeeper Rohan Luthra wrote his name into Moors folklore by keeping out Tarryn Allarakhia’s effort to send Lee’s men to Wembley for only the second time in their history.
After becoming only the second Moors manager to lead the club to the home of football after club icon Jason Ainsley did it 12 years ago and the first to do it in the FA Trophy, Lee said: “I don’t think we really needed a message today apart from how organised we had to be. These lads surprise me every week, when they are at the right intensity, how they work for each other, fight for each other, we will have to calm them down because we have five game remaining to try and get in the play-offs.“The team showed unbelievable character, which we have done right the way through this competition.”
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