Newton Aycliffe FC v Esh Winning

By Martin Walker
Newton Aycliffe suffered yet more heartache as they crashed out of the FA Vase after a 2-1 defeat against Esh Winning.
Former Aycliffe-winger Lewis Wing scored the crucial second goal for the second division side to rub more salt into the wounds.
Aycliffe dominated for the majority of the second-half, but Dan Mellanby’s late goal wasn’t enough for Allan Oliver’s men.
And with three ex-Aycliffe players in the starting 11 – goalkeeper Andrew Spence, defender Dan Mitton and Wing – Esh earned their place in the second-round, where they face the trip to South Yorkshire club Parkgate.
It took 38 minutes for Stuart Thomson to break the deadlock for the visitors when he latched on to a long ball and clipped the ball past Scott Pocklington on the edge of the six-yard box.
Aycliffe midfielder Martin Young had two good chances to level before half-time as the home side edged the first-half.
But the visitors doubled their lead five minutes into the second period when Aycliffe failed to clear a long throw into the box. Wing latched on to the loose ball and hit a speculative effort straight at Pocklington, but he somehow mishandled and the ball crept over the line.
Aycliffe went on to dominate the rest of the second-half and were unlucky in their efforts to get back into the game.
Centre-back Darren Craddock was lumped up top, and in the 81st minute he headed down Stuart Owen’s long ball into Mellanby’s path, who forced the ball home.
Aycliffe pressed for a leveller, and Mellanby caused a goal-mouth scramble late-on but the visitors somehow managed to stop the ball crossing the line before Spence grabbed the loose ball as Esh held on to their lead to book their second-round place.