Although we currently find ourselves situated within this year’s Easter break, there is no rest as far as Newcastle Blue Star are concerned and after welcoming league leaders Blyth Town through their Scotswood doors on Saturday, they also find themselves in action at the start of this week.
Action that comes around as soon as Monday lunchtime and with them meeting Ryton & Crawcrook Albion for the second time in six days, manager Marc Nash and his players will look to reverse the outcome of last Tuesday’s meeting in NE15.
The first meeting saw Monday’s hosts come out on top with a 2-0 win on enemy territory and not only was it a bad start last week, but it was not the way to prepare for the visit of the Northern League Division Two’s champions-elect four days later.
With that said, a lot can change in football within the space of 96 hours or so and although Blue Star could only make do with a share of the points against Blyth Town, their overall performance gave plenty of reasons to be cheerful.
After Dan Wilson put the visitors ahead early on, it was down to Dan Lanning to restore parity for the hosts just minutes after the break and with Marc Nash’s men growing in confidence thereafter, they were rather unfortunate not to go on and win the game.
Late saves denying Blue Star from earning maximum points but there is no denying the side gave maximum effort at the weekend and with Bedlington Terriers losing to Jarrow the night before, it also puts the slightest amount of daylight between the teams in second and third.
Not to mention, that league honours could finally be handed out at the start of this week and if the Terriers fail to beat the champions in waiting on home soil, it will mean this season’s title race will have come to an end.
Of course, it is not that race that matters to Blue Star but the quest to be the best of the rest does and if they can do their bit at Ryton, further dropped points for Bedlington that same day will only boost their playoff hopes further.
Something which sets up Monday’s clash rather nicely indeed. A big thanks to Ryton & Crawcrook Albion for the upcoming hospitality and for those attending from an away perspective, safe travels both there and back.
Comments