Turnbull the matchwinner as Spartans get opening day win

In association with:

ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant

Barwell 0-1 Blyth Spartans
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
Kirkby Road
Saturday 15th August 2015
Attendance: 227

Had the script writers been truly earning their morning striker Dan Maguire would have made an instant impact in his first competitive game since returning to the club from Halifax Town by being Blyth Spartans matchwinner at Barwell.

Things didn't quite work out that way but the diminutive front man made a major impact in Tom Wade's side getting their league campaign underway in the best possible manner with a hard-fought win against the Canaries.

There were just five minutes left on the clock when Jordan Watson broke forward from left back before releasing Maguire in on goal with an inch-perfect through ball. The striker seemed set to grab the headlines but was caught by a challenge from Canaries right back Scott Lower, who was promptly shown a red card and a penalty awarded.

Stephen Turnbull was the man who sealed the three points as he stepped up to take the spot kick, sending Canaries keeper Liam Castle the wrong way in front of an impressive, and not to mention noisy, band of travelling Spartans supporters.

Tom Wade handed a start to one of his six summer additions, Paul Robinson, as the midfielder made his second debut for the club after returning to Croft Park from Whitley Bay in July. Three further recruits had to make do with a place on the bench as Dillon Morse, Tom McNamee and Maguire were named among the substitutes.

Spartans started well, very well in fact, but a mixture of wayward finishing and impressive goalkeeping from Castle prevented them from taking the lead.

With eleven minutes on the clock it wouldn't have been fanciful to suggest that Wade's side could have been three goals to the good.

Robbie Dale sent an awkward looking volley wide from fifteen yards with just five minutes gone before Arran Wearmouth should have given his side the lead after racing on to a Dale flick. The former Bishop Auckland forward could only volley over the bar with Canaries number one Castle advancing on him.

The final chance of the opening spell fell to Robinson as he found himself in acres of space inside the area after an perfectly-weighted pass from Michael Richardson released him. The midfielder side-footed a shot that seemed destined for the far corner but Castle got fingertips to send the ball around the post and out for a corner.

The game settled, it had to, as Spartans reflected on three good chances to take the lead. Perhaps buoyed by their visitors inability to do so the home side came into the game as the half hour point of the opening half approached.

Veteran striker Iyseden Christie collected a pass into the Spartans area before spinning and firing an angled shot past Nick Thomson's far post from around ten yards out.

The former Coventry City front man was to have the final chance of the half as the pressure increased on the Spartans backline. A high, hanging cross from Canaries right back Scott Lower found its way to the far post where Christie could only head, unmarked, into the side netting.

The first half came to an end with the game seemingly threatening to burst into life, without ever actually managing to do so.

The second half followed a familiar pattern but it was the introduction of Dan Maguire that was the catalyst for a Spartans win. That is not to underplay the role played by Arran Wearmouth in the win as the youngster can reflect on an impressive hour leading the line as he was a constant thorn in the side of the hosts defenders.

Within minutes of his introduction Maguire had made an impact, albeit one that was made without reward.

Chasing a long ball down the left hand channel the striker outpaced two defenders and found some space inside the Canaries area. He got his head up before rolling back to the edge of the area to find the advancing Alex Nicholson but the defender smashed a low drive wide of Castle's far post.

You couldn't keep Maguire out of the game and with five minutes left on the clock he was released in on goal by a sublime ball from Jordan Watson. Just as Maguire seemed set to seal a perfect return to Spartans he was clipped by Scott Lower.

The defender was dismissed by referee Sean Richardson and Stephen Turnbull stepped up to win the game for Spartans as he coolly dispatched the resultant spot kick, his seventh successful penalty in a row.

Pressure came, as expected, from the home side as they looked to snatch a point. In reality, for all of that pressure, it never really looked like coming as the Spartans back four, and goalkeeper Nick Thomson, stood up well to their increasingly direct style of play.

And when Richardson blew the whistle he brought down the curtain on an impressive opening day win for Spartans.

They now looked to build on that with their opening home fixture of the league season on Tuesday night when Whitby Town are the visitors to Croft Park.

Barwell:

Castle, Lower, Nisevic, Kay, D Towers, Lavery (Julien 76), Tomkinson, Woodward, Christie (Brennan 67), Thornton (Hickey 62), J Towers

Subs not used:

Colley, Wakeling

Goals:

None

Barwell star man

Jamie Towers

Blyth Spartans:

Thomson, Nicholson (Morse 88), Watson, Hutchinson, Parker, Turnbull, Richardson, Robinson (Mullen 52), Wearmouth (Maguire 63), Wade, Dale

Subs not used:

Bramley, McNamee

Goals:

Turnbull 85 pen

Spartans star man:

Stephen Turnbull

Entertainment value:

3/5

Referee:

Sean Richardson