SOUTH Shields ran Northern League Division One leaders close before losing to two late goals.
The Mariners took the lead against the title favourites, but couldn't hold on and finished the game with nine men.
The game, sponsored by Northern Threads, only went ahead following hard work by the committee in clearing water from the pitch.
S
hields started on the front foot and after Moors keeper Craig Turns saved from Stephen Ramsey, they took the lead when Wightman crossed for Tony Coe to convert from 10 yards.
The goal sparked the visitors into life, and there was a good save from Niki Lawson who turned a Gavin Cogdon shot round the post.
Spennymoor were in the ascendancy and on the half hour they restored parity, Cogdon collected a ball from Anthony Peacock and firing past Lawson from close range.
Shields were denied a second goal when an offside flag chalked off a Wightman strike as the sides left the field all square at the interval.
After the break, a Craig Tate shot grazed the top of the bar, before Wightman saw his header wwell saved by Turns.
A minute later Spennymoor pressed forward through Keith Graydon, but his shot was blocked by Duncan O'Brien.
The game changed on 68 mins when Shields were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Coe following a second yellow card.
Spennymoor took advantage of the extra man as they pressed Shields back in their own half but were unable to break through a resolute Shields defence.
What was an uphill battle for the 10 men of Shields become an even steeper hill to climb on 80 minutes when they were reduced to nine men following a straight red card for skipper Lee Paul Scroggins.
And in the 88th minute Chris Lawther connected with a cross from the right to head past Lawson to put Moors ahead.
With the game into added time, Shields won a corner and keeper Lawson went forward for the kick, but Moors broke and with Lawson struggling to get back, Cogdon had the simplest of tasks to tap in to give the visitors a 3-1 victory.
