I was fortunate recently, through my job, to be invited to the official opening of Ashington’s new ground.
The bar and community facilities are first class and can rival those at many a club in the Blue Square North.
In conversation Manager of the Club Andy Gowans, who spent a brief time at Croft Park in his younger days, graciously wished the Spartans and in particular Harry Dunn all the very best for the season to come.
It has been reported that former Blyth boss Tom Wade is now assistant to Steve Bowey in charge of Unibond side Blue Star.
The Newcastle club is also reported to have signed former England youth international, and Blyth-born forward, Stuart Nicholson.
Over the last two seasons Workington have beaten Blyth every time they’ve played. Plus the Spartans have failed to score on all four occasions.
Harry Dunn’s side, however, ended that dismal sequence on Saturday when they beat the Reds 3-1 at Croft Park.
Dunn was duly pleased with the result and his side’s performance, which showed some character coming on the back of games at Southport and Telford where Blyth failed to pick up any points when the standard of their play would have suggested otherwise.
Dunn commented “I was extremely happy with our first half. We kept the ball well at times, we were strong at the back and our goals were all quality finishes. Phil Bell’s opener was neatly struck and Anthony Hume’s first goal for the Club was a nicely glanced header. And then Gareth Williams came up with another of his excellent free kicks.”
Dunn felt sorry for Bell who had to be substituted with a twisted ankle. “Phil’s just come back from injury and this happens,” he said. “He was just starting to form what looked like being a good partnership up front with Hume too.”
As often happens when a side has built up a big lead Blyth fell away a little in the second half.
“We were bound to drop the pace after half time” said Dunn “but I said to the players at the interval that we had won the first half and just needed to draw the second. We still created chances though and I thought we fully deserved the three points.”
New Captain for this season Gareth Williams was understandably delighted with the win. His goal, direct from a free kick, was his third such success in as many Saturdays, and he was named as the Drager Man of the Match.
He agrees that his is playing his best football for Blyth since signing in August 1999.
“That’s down to the sweeper/centre back position I’m playing in now,” he suggested.
“I am very proud and pleased to be Captain and I think we will do alright this year if we keep playing as we are. We’ve started well and six points from our four games is not bad when you remember that two of those were at Southport and Telford – and we were unlucky in both of those matches.
Asked about his newly found ability with free kicks Williams modestly puts it down to the footballs used in the Blue Square North this season. “You can almost just pass the ball into the net rather than having to really strike it. Hit it right and it just flies.”
And fly the ball certainly did at the end of 45 minutes on Saturday and it was possibly no coincidence that the start of the second half was delayed when the Assistant Referee had to call for the top corner of the net to be properly secured to the goal at the very point where Williams’ effort had been placed!
“They’re a pain . . . they just rough you up” was Telford defender Gavin Cowan’s, not particularly considered nor complimentary, view of Blyth Spartans after the match at the Bucks Head Stadium on Saturday.
His side had won the game 2-1 but speaking on BBC Radio Cowan continued “What Blyth lack in ability they make up with physicality.”
His comments do not necessarily square up with the fact that Telford had three players booked to the Spartans’ one and furthermore Blyth boss Harry Dunn didn’t see the need for the referee to book anyone at all!
His response to Cowan’s thoughts was to laugh. “There wasn’t a bad tackle from either side, or any bust ups, in the game” he said.
It certainly wasn’t a physical game and Blyth more than held their own in terms of the quality of football on display. To belittle their ability would be inaccurate.
The visitors showed their attacking intentions early on when Gary Brown, playing in midfield for the injured Chris McCabe, side footed wide of the Telford goal after only three minutes when he really should have scored. Telford responded immediately with forward Terry Fearns denied by Blyth goalkeeper Mark Bell.
19-year-old Ged Dalton was increasingly involved in the game producing fine runs which often resulted in the home defenders bringing him down. One such dribble saw him drift past three players before volleying over the bar.
As the half progressed both sides were going forward at every opportunity and Bell in the Blyth gaol was pleased to see Liam Blake’s effort pass just wide of his post.
Dalton won Blyth a free kick 20 yards out after 20 minutes and Captain Gareth Williams stepped up to hit the ball just over the bar in what proved to be a “sighter” for later in the game.
Fearns continued to look dangerous for Telford but was being well marshalled by sweeper Williams. However on 28 minutes he eluded the Blyth defence and the ball fell to fullback Martyn Naylor, who had made good progress up the wing to support the attack, and he finished smartly to put Telford one up a little against the run of play.
Within two minutes Blyth missed a somewhat bizarre double opportunity to equalise.
Dalton did well to get in a cross from the right which fell for Robbie Dale at the far post. Dale somehow miscued with the goal at his mercy and the ball skewed across the face of the goal to Andrew Leeson on the edge of the six yard box. Leeson seemed to be taken by surprise and was unable to take advantage of an open goal.
As was typical of the game Telford went up the other end and should have scored another when Brown shot but Bell in the Blyth goal saved magnificently with his legs to keep the Spartans in with a fighting chance.
After the game Harry Dunn was disappointed with chances missed in the first period. “You need to take your chances at this level” he said. “We could have gone in 3-1 up if we’d been sharper.”
Dunn was to further rue missed opportunities six minutes after the restart when Fearns for once managed to elude the supervision of Williams and the other Blyth defenders to rise at the far post and guide an excellent header into the top left hand corner of the Blyth net. It was harsh on the visitors but they responded with admirable determination.
The hosts’ Andy Brown was booked for a foul on Blyth’s feisty winger Andrew Wright and it took two attempts for home keeper Ryan Young to gather a shot by Dalton as Dale closed in. Almost immediately Telford’s Nwadike was also yellow carded, this time for persistent fouling.
Dunn withdrew Andrew Wright who was suffering from cramp and brought on forward Phil Bell.
The lively Dalton won a free kick 22 yards out in the 68th minute after being fouled by the home Captain Whitehead who became the third Telford player to enter the referee’s book.
Gareth Williams stepped up and sent a beautifully flighted shot past Ryan Young’s left hand and into the net to bring Blyth, deservedly, back into the game.
The final quarter saw the game ebb and flow with Williams continuing to deal well with the pace of Brown and the trickery of Fearns.
Blyth lost their shape and started to look a little tired in the final minutes with passes starting to go astray but they continued to pose a threat to the Telford goal.
Blyth’s Pell was booked in the final minute after stretching to challenge Telford’s Adams.
“We should really have come away with at least a point,” suggested Dunn after the final whistle.
“We’ve played three games now and have three points when we could have had seven or even nine.
“We equipped ourselves well today and Telford never really bothered us at all.
I thought Simon Todd and Gary Brown did well for us in the middle of the park - especially as they hadn’t played together there before.”
Next weekend sees Blyth take on Workington at Croft Park on Saturday (kick off 3.00pm) and on Bank Holiday Monday the Spartans are on their travels once more, this time going to Farsley Celtic.
Dunn expects to be without influential midfielder McCabe for three or four weeks and feels he may have to strengthen his squad in advance of the weekend’s games.
His side will certainly travel with some confidence despite the Telford defeat. The Shropshire side are, after all, one of the favourites to gain promotion.
Dunn will also be happy in the knowledge that although his side may come in for criticism he is convinced of their ability and aptitude.
The Spartans went down 2-1 at Telford yesterday when they really deserved a draw.
If first half chances had been taken a point would have been on the cards.
A direct free kick from Gareth Williams saw Blyth claw the game back to 2-1 on 68 minutes.