Newton Aycliffe FC v West Auckland Town

By Paul McGearyNewton Aycliffe suffered their first league defeat of the season as their 100% home record was wrecked by local rivals West Auckland Town.Daniel Hindmarsh's second half double put the visitors two clear and Aycliffe couldn't find a way back into the game despite Ben Wood's 73rd minute penalty.To compound Aycliffe's misery, substitute Dan Mellanby was red-carded in injury time for an apparent elbow on Town skipper Neil Pattinson.In spite of their reputation as a side that likes to wind their opponents up and perhaps not play football in the right manner, Peter Dixon's side played some attractive stuff, with wingers Stuart Banks and Adam Nicholls a constant threat.The game, like most derbies, struggled to spring into life, and 35 minutes were on the watch by the time either side fashioned an opportunity. Steven Brown's left wing free kick was met in the area by John Parker who flashed a header just past the angle of Andrew Spence's goal.Six minutes later, Spence was in action again, heading a long punt forward clear from outside his area, with Brown's lob failing to trouble the vacant net.The home side's best chance came on the stroke of half time. Chase McMullen's right wing centre was met at the back post by Josh Gray. Gray's square ball across the six-yard box was touched goalwards by debutant Andrew Appleby who found opposition 'keeper Mark Bell in fine form, as the former Blyth stopper pushed the effort onto the post before smothering the loose ball.West almost took the lead in first half injury time as Nathan Wilson's low free-kick almost crept in at Spence's post, with the former Spennymoor 'keeper at his best to force the ball for a corner.Gray again tested Bell in the second half, as his 25-yard rocket had the custodian at full stretch to again tip the ball wide for a corner.West took the lead just after the hour mark. Nicholls skipped past James Oliver at right back but saw his angled drive cannon back off the underside of the crossbar. As the Aycliffe backline looked on, Hindmarsh reacted first to the rebound and hammered his effort high into the roof of the net.Spence was again in action on 67 minutes as he somehow got a flailing body part to Hindmarsh's 20-yard effort and watched the ball scamper just wide.Hindmarsh went one better two minutes later as his header doubled the visitors' advantage. Banks' right wing corner evaded everyone and Hindmarsh nodded home unchallenged at the back post.Aycliffe only really began playing after this blow and four minutes later won a penalty when Appleby was felled by Jonny Gibson in the area. Wood stepped up and confidently beat Bell from the spot to register his fifth goal of the campaign.Anth Campbell saw his 80th minute free-kick deflect onto the bar as Aycliffe sought out an equaliser but their hopes were dealt a crushing blow when Mellanby received his marching orders as Pattinson appeared to con the referee into thinking he had been elbowed by the Aycliffe veteran as he held off his challenge.Star ManMark Peck - Assured!