Spennymoor 3 Padiham 1.

Spennymoor climbed into third in the EvoStik First Division North with victory over bottom club Padiham.

But Moors didn’t have the game entirely their own way. They missed some good chances in the first half at 1-0, and Padiham caused some anxious moments until Moors scored their second.

Andrew Stephenson, who has scored three times in his last two outings, nearly opened the scoring on 5 minutes when he cut in from the right, beating a defender on the way, but Padiham keeper Sean Davis blocked his shot at the near post.

And Stephenson had another chance, this time on the left hand side, when Anthony Peacock played the ball to him on the corner of the box, and his right foot shot grazed the bar.

But there was to be no stopping him on 9 minutes, when the Padiham defence failed to clear a left wing cross, and Nathan Fisher put the ball into the six yard box for him to tap in from a few yards.

Moors nearly got another, but Paul Johnson’s header from a free kick looped just over the bar, and then Liam Henderson charged down a Davis clearance, but the keeper grabbed the ball before the striker could run on.

But Padiham nearly levelled when former Southampton striker Brett Ormerod turned on a left wing cross, and volleyed just over the bar.

Moors should have got a second on 19 minutes when a harmless ball into the box from Stephenson was left by every Padiham defender, allowing Shane Henry to fire over the top from twelve yards, when he should have done better.

Padiham plugged the gaps at the back until the 29th minute, when Henry found plenty of space, but his right foot shot from the edge of the box lacked power, and Davis saved comfortably.

Moors keeper Adam McHugh preserved Moors’ lead on 35 minutes, when Daley Woods couldn’t quite connect on to a left wing cross, but Ormerod was lurking behind him, and McHugh blocked at his feet.

The swirling wind spolit the first chance of the second half, when Moors sub Gavin Cogdon lobbed the ball forward and Nathan Fisher momentarily got goal side of his marker, but he couldn’t control the ball and it ran through to Davis.

Cogdon made a great run down the left and had a shot charged down, but Robert Briggs, following up, couldn’t keep his shot down and it went harmlessly wide.

Padiham nearly velled on 58 minutes when sub Curtis Haley, on for Ormerod, broke away, but Adam McHugh saved at his feet.

Moors calmed their nerves on 64 minutes when Briggs found Fisher on the edge of the box, and the striker fired over the helpless Davis.

And it was game over on 66 minutes when Padiham defender Thomas Murphy headed a right wing cross past his own keeper.

It was nearly 4-0 when Davis went full length to deny Paul Johnson, who also had a header cleared off the line.

Padiham pulled a goal back when Daniel Williams broke through two tackles, and after his shot was blocked, Haley sidefooted into the bottom corner.

Moors nearly got another in the last minute after Fisher sent Michael Roberts racing clear, but Davis stopped his shot low down.

Spennymoor: McHugh, Griffiths, Johnson, Briggs, Tait, Capper, Stephenson (sub Roberts 70), Henry,Henderson (sub Ward 70), Fisher, Peacock. (sub Cogdon 39).

Subs not used: Mason, Dodds, Padiham: Davis, Murphy (sub Scott 70), Grice, Young, Fowler, Hill, Williams, Sharples. Woods, Ormerod (sub Haley 45), O’Brien Subs not used: Langford, Emmott, Dawson