Match Report | Blyth Spartans 2-1 Newcastle Benfield | Pre-Season Friendly | 2024/25

Sunday, 14 July 2024

By Callum Jacques

Blyth Spartans began their pre-season schedule with a 2-1 win against Newcastle Benfield.

It was the first game of the Nobby Solano era and the Saturday afternoon affair saw plenty of trialists appear at Croft Park, one of which gave Spartans an early lead in the 8th minute.

Blyth controlled the game until the 31st minute when Benfield equalised through Glen Hargrave. Spartans took the lead in the 89th minute through an own goal, sealing a 2-1 victory.

Benfield had started the brighter of the two sides forcing a save out of Michael Hogan in the third minute with a shot from the edge of the box. Three minutes later the away side forced Ben Milburn into a foul, but the resulting free-kick went wide.

Spartans took the lead in the 8th minute when Billy Gordon ran at the heart of the Benfield defence before the Benfield keeper parried his shot into the path of a trialist who tapped it into an empty net.

After the goal, Blyth continued to apply the pressure and nearly doubled their lead in the 11th minute when Charlie Aitken cut inside and saw his low curling effort turned round the post for a corner by the keeper.

Two minutes later the home side came close again when Lucas Reed clipped the top of the bar from a free kick.

In the 27th minute, Blyth was on the front foot again and came close following some great link-up play, but neither the trialist nor Micheal Woods could finish their chances to double their lead.

After soaking up a lot of pressure Benfield equalised in the 31st minute when Glen Hargrave evaded the offside trap and tapped the ball into an empty net after Hogan rushed out his goal but missed the ball.

Half time: Blyth Spartans 1-1 Newcastle Benfield

Blyth made two changes after half time with Woods and Aitken departing for two trialists.

Benfield tried to capitalise on some sloppy defending from Spartans in the 49th minute, but the away side's number 10 fired his shot wide from the edge of the box.

Spartans were looking to regain the lead, but Reed saw his effort fly over the bar in the 53rd minute.

Joe Oliver saw his pass back to Hogan picked off by Hargrave who hit the post before Benfield's second attempt was headed behind for a corner.

The match saw a lot of substitutes but not many chances from the 60th minute onwards until the 83rd minute when Benfield came close from a corner before a foul on Hogan.

Four minutes later Benfield was on the attack again with no.17 going through one-on-one before being denied by Hogan to keep the score level.

It was Blyth who would win it at the death when Oliver put a ball across in the 89th minute, with the ball finally going in off a Benfield player after a bit of pinball.

Full time: Blyth Spartans 2-1 Newcastle Benfield

Blyth Spartans | Michael Hogan, Joe Oliver (Trialist 89'), Ben Milburn, Ryan Donaldson © (Trialist 89'), Trialist (Trialist 57'), Michael Woods (Trialist 45'), Lucas Reed (Trialist 70'), Billy Gordon (Trialist 57'), Charlie Aitkin (Trialist 45'), Trialist (Trialist 79'), Trialist (Trialist 79')

Goals | Trialist 7', Own-Goal 88'

Assists | Billy Gordon 7', Joe Oliver 88'

Newcastle Benfield |

Goals | Glen Hargrave 31'

Attendance | 300

Spartans next face off against North Sheilds at the Daren Persson Stadium on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, with a 7:30pm kick-off.