By Paul McGeary
Newton Aycliffe moved to within three wins of securing promotion as they romped to a four-goal victory over a Crook side which played for over an hour with 10 men.
Daniel Sanders received quick-fire yellow cards for two sickening challenges on Elliot Gardner after last yearÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s leading scorer had put the visitors ahead after just five minutes.
Further goals from Warren Byrne, fortunate as it was, his 33rd of the campaign, Ben Wood and the impressive Josh Knox left Allan OliverÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Newtonians now looking for just nine points from their remaining seven games to seal promotion.
Oliver reverted to a more conventional 4-4-2 formation after seeing his side struggle for goals in their past two outings which saw the league leaders opting for three centre halves, with John Close the unlucky man to miss out.
Dan Mitton and Anth Campbell returned in the full-back roles while Ben Wood and Fred Woodhouse replaced Paul Broom and Stu Owen down the flanks. Dan Mellanby started against his former employers at the expense of Craig Mickle, captaining the side in the absence of Sean Tarling Ã¢â‚¬â€œ bringing to an end the skippersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ run of 27 consecutive appearances.
GardnerÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s goal, his 16th of the season, came after some impressive work by Mellanby. Receiving the ball with his back to goal, the former Darlington man turned his marker before rolling a square ball into GardnerÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s path leaving the 21-year-old with the easiest task of slotting home from 15-yards without breaking stride as he marauded through from midfield.
Three minutes later and CrookÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s very own 30-goal hit-man Andy Appleby had his first sight on goal and despite close shepherding from Mark Peck, the former Hartlepool man still managed his shot from the angle but could watch it sail harmlessly over Scott PocklingtonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s bar from 10-yards.
SandersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ moments of madness came in a five minute spell before the half-hour mark. His first challenge, a gruesome lunge on Gardner warranted a sending off in its own right but the referee was given no option but to send the former Durham City man off when he again crashed into Gardner on 29 minutes leaving AycliffeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s goal scorer in a heap on the edge of the area.
Campbell almost doubled his sideÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s advantage on 33 minutes when he broke through the back line but drew his shot wide of the far post while Appleby played his strike partner Anth Dobbell through on 37 minutes but his lobbed effort ran harmlessly across the face of goal.
On 38 minutes Wood fired a tantalising ball across goal from the right wing but saw no-one in a red shirt gamble but in injury time OliverÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s team talk got a bit easier as Aycliffe finally stretched their lead.
Campbell again broke forward and found Mellanby midway though CrookÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s half. The 31-year-old slotted the ball into KnoxÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s path 25 yards out and as the teenage midfielder let fly, he watched as it flicked off Byrne leg wrong-footing Graeme Pickering in the home goal to creep in by the post.
Mellanby fired just wide in the opening exchanges of the second period while Wood should have done better on 55 minutes with Gardner and Byrne queuing up to take the ball from the feet of the former Sunderland man.
Mark Nicholson headed off his own line just before the hour mark as MittonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s right wing cross deflected cruelly off Dobbell and over PickeringÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s head as Aycliffe laid siege in the relentless rain.
The strong visiting support had little longer to wait for their sideÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s third of the evening as Wood fired home left footed from 12-yards after some fine work by Knox on the right side of the area.
Three minutes later and OliverÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s men got the crowning glory as Knox steered a superb fourth into the side of the net from close range after some intricate build-up play from Mellanby, who was revelling in the jeers of the fans who once lauded a man who was instrumental in getting the club to the last-eight of the FA Vase just five seasons ago.
Oliver afforded a triple substitution with 20 minutes to go, resting his star man with two more important away days looming for his side, in which he hopes back-to-back victories will give his side the opportunity to cement their promotion in front of their home support, a week come Saturday when they host Brandon.
Star Man Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Dan MELLANBY
Anth Campbell enjoyed some fine penetrative forays down the left hand side and was unlucky not to score with a couple of efforts while Josh Knox had a fine night in the absence of skipper Tarling. Elliot Gardner impressed once more in the centre of the park, scoring another goal but it was Mellanby who stole the show, focal in everything his side done on a night where all that was missing from the stand-in skipperÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s contribution was a goal.

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