Saturday 28th September
Liversedge 4 v Newton Aycliffe 0
Newton Aycliffe ended a disappointing week of results with a surprisingly poor 4-0 defeat at Liversedge on Saturday. Many were hoping to see Aycliffe bounce back from their 4-2 defeat at Heaton Stannington on Wednesday, although this wasn’t to be the case. Aycliffe didn’t start too badly, with Dean Thexton having several chances in the first half that Liversedge’s Jake Oram easily dealt with. The hosts opened the scoring when Jack Carr smartly moved in the box and fired past Jim Pollard in seventeen minutes. The hosts doubled the lead in the thirtieth minute as Jack Dyche got on the end of a cross into a crowded box and to make matters worse, and essentially end the contest within thirty four minutes, Joe Walton was deemed to be pushed in the box sufficiently enough to give the hosts a penalty which Alfie Raw successfully converted.
Such a quick spell of goals basically killed any entertainment value the remainder of the contest had, and both teams seemed unlikely to score any more goals in both the final minutes of the first half and the majority of the second half. Aycliffe probably held a larger degree of possession in the second half, but didn’t make it count for much at all. As the second half wore on, Liversedge started to get a bit more comfortable going forward again and the home side sealed the contest when substitute Chinedu Osadebe was set up by Jack Crook after Crook’s engaged a lung busting run through the Aycliffe midfield and defence, Osadebe maneuvered himself into the right place to fire it home in the 85th minute. It was truly an afternoon to forget for Aycliffe and even worse when factoring in the loss at Heaton Stannington on Wednesday.
After a midweek home fixture against Sherwood Colliery, Aycliffe turn their attention back to the Isuzu FA Trophy with a trip to NPL Premier side Whitby Town on Saturday 5th October. This is the first time Aycliffe have reached the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy and, playing a team from a league higher, will prove a stern test. However, having put NPL East leaders Emley out in the last round, Aycliffe will be hoping to continue their excellent cup form.
Match report by Ryan Livingston. Photo by Yvonne Wood: Man of the match Joe Ferguson on the ball at Liversedge.
