By Paul McGeary
Newton Aycliffe knocked West Auckland off the summit of the Northern League with a well deserved 2-1 victory at Darlington Road.
The defeat avenged West’s win at Moore Lane Park last month and moved Allan Oliver’s side back up a place to seventh.
Paul Broom lashed the visitors ahead in the first half while former West forward Dale Jardine blasted what was to turn out to be the winner midway through the second period.
Alex Francis netted a hotly disputed penalty with five minutes remaining to set up a tense finish but the Newtonians held on for the three points, which in truth should have been wrapped up long before the referee’s final whistle.
It was all one-way traffic in the opening 45 minutes, and after Broom intercepted Daryll Hall’s back pass in the third minute, Jardine forced ‘keeper Mark Bell into a smart save at his near post.
Two minutes later and Jonny Gibson was well positioned at the back-post to head Darren Craddock’s glancing header off the goal-line while Stuart Owen again stretched Bell on 23 minutes as Aycliffe laid siege.
West’s best, and only chance came on 26 minutes when Mark Stephenson ghosted in at the back-post to meet Francis’ floated delivery, but found Scott Pocklington equal to his downward header.
Aycliffe went ahead just before the half hour mark. Owen and Darlington loanee Phil Gray exchanged passes down the left before the latter fired a superb cross into the middle. In two touches Elliot Gardner controlled the ball and laid up Broom who clinically fired the ball into the roof of Bell’s goal from 12 yards.
Gardner almost doubled his sides lead in first half stoppage time, but his shot was saved by Bell diving low to his left after some good build-up play and a cheeky back-heeled set-up from Tom Portas.
West came out a different side in the second half and Stuart Banks almost had them level when his cheeky curling effort almost found Pocklington’s bottom corner with the 21-year-old stopper superbly finger-tipping the effort around his post.
Aycliffe stretched their advantage on 64 minutes when Gardner’s lofted through-ball was controlled by Jardine who advanced on Bell’s goal before executing a thunderous right-footed effort from the edge of the area which Bell got a hand to but couldn’t stop from breaching his top corner.
Mattie Moffat and Micky Rae had a couple of half chances as West gambled for a route back into the game and with five minutes remaining, Rae turned John Close who was harshly adjudged to have handled in the area. Francis stepped up and coolly sent Pocklington the wrong way from the spot.
West threw everything at Aycliffe for the closing stages but Craddock and Stephen Gibson, both excellent all night were instrumental in keeping the ball at bay.
Star Man
Darren Craddock – Rock!

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