Newton Aycliffe Youth Seniors 2 v Whickham Fellside 1
County cup day for the seniors, and Aycliffe started the game with a midfield with an average age of 19 and had only twelve senior games between them. This is the perfect example of the clubs aim to give our young lads a chance to play at this level and they certainly stepped up to the challenge. The game started in very windy conditions, with both sides struggling to cope, as a result, the game was very scrappy. The visitors first shot from distance somehow found a way to slip in at the near post. However, Aycliffe was the better the side for the rest of the half. In the second half, the lads had the wind behind them and we talked about using it to put their keeper under pressure. A Ryan Groves corner rode the wind and found the net, his first goal for the club. This gave the lads a lift and they were the only side looking to get the ball down and play. They then got the deserved break when Niall Douglas tried his luck from a tight angle which hit the back of the net to give Aycliffe the lead. The lads pressed for a third and maybe could have had it with a bit more composure. All seventeen players got time on the pitch, giving us a solid platform for the rest of the season. MOM Joel Gibson.
Newton Aycliffe Youth Women 2 v Hebburn Town 3
Not the result they wanted, but definitely a stronger performance from the team.
Aycliffe had a tough start, allowing the visitors to take a quick 0-2 lead. This gave us the wake-up call we needed, and we finished the first half as the stronger side. Beth grabbed her second goal of the season after charging down a clearance and calmly finishing to make it 1-2. We nearly equalised before half time, but their keeper was in top form.
The second half began as we left off, on the front foot but, unfortunately, Hebburn capitalised on a free kick to extend their lead to 1-3. We responded right away when Alex was brought down in the box, and Annabelle coolly slotted home the penalty to bring it back to 2-3. Despite creating more chances, we couldn’t find the equaliser and ran out just short.
Player of the Match goes to Morgan, who put in a fantastic shift in her first game back after missing pre-season. She dominated the midfield and we’re excited to see what more she’ll bring once fully match fit. Well done, Morgan.