Match Report | Blyth Town 4-0 Blyth Spartans | Pre-Season Friendly | 2024/25

By Stephen Burton

Blyth Spartans endured a third successive pre-season loss as they suffered a heavy defeat to Blyth Town in the inaugural Gateway Cup.

Dan Wilson opened the scoring on the half-hour before Ben Franklin doubled the host's lead a couple of minutes before half-time.

Seven minutes into the second-half Town made it three after a Spartans trialist turned the ball into his own net, before Louis Calvert made it four five minutes before the break.

Blyth Town, who start their Northern League campaign this weekend, started the stronger, with the Spartans keeper tested called into action twice within the opening quarter of an hour, firstly with a low cross that was well claimed, then a low shot from the edge of the box.

Spartans went close just after the quarter-hour mark when Joe Oliver flew forward on the right wing and dug out a brilliant back post cross to the onrushing trialist, but his volley flew narrowly over the bar.

From then Spartans looked more comfortable, as another trialist saw a good opportunity fall to him on the edge of the box but his half-volley was well saved by the keeper.

But any momentum the visitors were starting to build was soon snuffed out on 30 minutes, as Dan Wilson capitalised on a defensive mix-up to charge down the keeper's clearance and roll the ball into an empty net.

From then it was one-way traffic, with the home side as Adam Johnson burst forward and dinked the ball over the Spartans keeper, only for it to float narrowly over the bar, then moments later the woodwork was rattled by Evan Fogarty as he met a free kick with a bullet header.

Despite this, Spartans had a great chance to equalise just before the break, a cross from Marcello Benedetti was found an unmarked trialist at the back post, he took a touch and cut inside but blazed his shot over the bar.

It was a miss that Spartans rued straight away as moments later Town doubled their lead through Ben Franklin after he was picked out brilliantly by Wilson.

Half Time: Blyth Town 2-0 Blyth Spartans

Second-half the hosts were the better side, and made it three on 52 minutes, after a low cross was deflected in by a Spartans trialist.

The Spartans keeper had to be alert a few minutes later, as a Town attacker found space in the box but he did well to get a strong hand to it.

Spartans struggled to create any chances, with Lucas Reed going closest with a free kick on 70 minutes, however it was easily dealt with by the keeper.

The visitors night then went from bad to worse on 83 minutes as Calvert made it 4-0 to town. Despite a fine first stop from the Spartans keeper, the Town striker made no mistake from the rebound as he rounded off the victory from 6 yards.

Full Time: Blyth Town 4-0 Blyth Spartans

Next up for Blyth Spartans in pre-season is an away trip to Consett on Saturday.