Seaham Red Star 0-3 Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe overcame the elements at a soaking Ferguson Motor Repairs Stadium to take all three points against Seaham Red Star.
Liam Jarvie scored his fifth goal in four games to give Aycliffe a first half lead before Connor Phelan and an Adam Burnicle penalty sealed a 3-0 win for Colin Stromsoy’s side. The win keeps Aycliffe in third place in the Ebac Northern League Division One table, two points behind the leaders.
There was one change to the starting XI from Tuesday night’s 3-2 win over Billingham Town, as Burnicle returned from an injury picked up at Thornaby in place of Ben Reay. With the rain pouring on the North East coast there was little between the two teams in the opening exchanges of the game as both teams adjusted to the slick conditions.
Andrew Johnson was the first player to test either goalkeeper when his near post header forced Adam Pickford into a smart save after the ball zipped up off the surface in the 20th minute.
The deadlock was broken 10 minutes later with the first moment of quality in the game as Ben Dibb-Fuller found a pocket of space inside the Seaham half and was allowed to advance. His defence splitting pass was inch perfect for Jarvie to run on to who was able to keep his composure and go around goalkeeper Andrew Jennison to slot home into an empty net. New Red Star signing Lewis Suddick almost levelled the scores five minutes later when he escaped Aidan McGee and was able to curl a strike beyond the stretching Aaron Brown but thankfully for Aycliffe it went wide of Pickford’s post.
Pickford was forced into a flying save to his right before the break when Paul Gardiner was able to turn and fire a snap shot at goal as Aycliffe’s lead remained intact. The conditions worsened for the second half but it was Aycliffe who made a flying start as Phelan doubled their lead to cap an excellent Aycliffe move.
Dibb-Fuller and Marc Costello linked in midfield with Costello finding Jarvie and the attacker was able to slip the ball through to Phelan who had continued his run up the right hand side and was able to slide the ball beyond Jennison. Johnson got on the end of a lofted ball from Thomas Bott but Pickford was out to close the angle and push wide as the home side looked to try and find a way back into the game. Burnicle tried to repeat his heroics at Thornaby on the hour mark when he tested Jennison with the outside of his boot from the edge of the area. Suddick had Pickford scrambling to his left moments later but once more the former Hebburn Town man’s strike when past Pickford’s post.
From the resulting goal kick Aycliffe went up the other end of the field and were awarded a penalty when Jake Petitjean was sent tumbling by Matthew Tumilty much to the disgruntlement of the Seaham players. After a lengthy wait Burnicle stepped up to coolly send the ball down the middle and seal all three points for Aycliffe.
The visitors might have added to their lead through Burnicle who couldn’t keep Jarvie’s cross down following the move of the match by Aycliffe. Reay was denied by Jennison after being put through one on one before Wood lofted the rebound over the bar.
There was still time for Pickford to make an excellent save to deny Gardiner from close range having spilled Johnson’s effort from distance in the rain. Aycliffe held on for a clean sheet and remain unbeaten in the Northern League.
By Joe Ramage
