Newton Aycliffe FC v North Shields

By Paul McGeary
Aycliffe brought around two dozen through the Tyne Tunnel for their first away game in Northern League football.
With arguably each of the starting back-four out of their natural position, and both key players with experience at higher levels than the Northern League missing from the start, Aycliffe relied on a gritty performance to carry them through, and maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
Aycliffe had the ball in the net after 22 minutes, but Anth Campbell’s effort was ruled out and play brought back for a foul on the same player. Had the referee shown some common sense instead of haste, he would’ve seen that Aycliffe were in an advantageous position despite the heavy challenge and the game may have panned out differently.
As it happens, it took the introduction of Dan Mellanby and Paul Broom on the hour mark to stir the game up.
Within seconds of his arrival, and with Mellanby bellowing for a penalty, this time the referee refrained from blowing his whistle, and his delay allowed Campbell to square for Elliot Gardner to prod home from six yards.
Aycliffe lost concentration at this and conceded 30 seconds later, a 20-yard shot finding Steve Richardson’s bottom corner, and things got worse some 10 minutes later, when Shields took the lead, from a seemingly innocent attack. The ball again finding Richardson’s net from outside the area.
Not to be outdone, and with an unbeaten record to defend, Aycliffe sought, and found an equaliser in the late exchanges. Paul Broome with the goal, although a defender may have got the final touch.
Aycliffe rode their luck in injury time when Shields first headed against the bar, and then MotM Danny Robinson threw himself in the path of a goal-bound effort in the ensuing melee, but a point was probably a fair reflection on the game.