Newton Aycliffe FC v Norton And Stockton

By Paul McGeary
Newton Aycliffe returned to winning ways as they eased to victory over Norton & Stockton Ancients.
It was the Newtonians first league victory for a month, ending a run of four games without a win.
Dan Mellanby’s first of the season got the afternoon off to a great start for Allan Oliver’s side, who added further goals from Josh Gray and Dale Jardine.
Matthew Garbutt got the visitors level in the first half but the Ancients rarely threatened Andrew Spence’s goal on a bitter cold afternoon.
Mellanby’s strike came as Aycliffe asked all the early questions, with the former Darlington forward firing home low from outside the area following Gray’s pass.
Aycliffe’s lead was short, as Norton equalised just seven minutes later with their first real showing on Spence’s goal.
Garbutt cut in off the left wing, and saw his right-footed effort fortuitously lob up off the heels of Paul Broom and over Spence into the net.
Nathan Mulligan bent a superb free-kick just wide after the half-hour mark but Aycliffe restored their lead with 38 minutes on the clock.
Broom’s right-wing corner wasn’t fully cleared and Josh Knox found Gray on the corner of the area, with the 20-year-old winger firing across ‘keeper Stuart Newbold and in off the far post.
Eight minutes into the second period Aycliffe stretched their legs and in doing so got the cushion they needed to kill off the game.
Jardine, tireless all afternoon, chased a ball into the area and from the finest of angles, superbly fired low left-footed under Newbold and into the far corner of the Town-End goal.
Aycliffe gave a debut to Nathan Wilson off the bench late in the game, and the former West Auckland starlet almost capped his bow with a goal, but saw his 25-yard free-kick hit the crossbar before going over.
Star Man
Dan Mellanby – Vintage!