Blue Square North League: Blyth Spartans 1, Hucknall 2

Mar 16 2008 by Jeff Bowron, Sunday Sun

BLYTH Spartans are looking over their shoulder again following a third consecutive defeat.

The Spartans put in an abject display in front of a 440 Croft Park crowd against fourth-bottom Hucknall, who played the second half with 10 men.

Blyth remain in the bottom six and manager Harry Dunn pulled no punches after the game.

“It was absolute rubbish,” said Dunn. “We played with a Northern League mentality and it was a horrendous error for Hucknall’s first goal.

“I couldn’t fault the endeavour or honesty but there wasn’t a lot of class and no nous.

“We’re struggling up front without a recognised striker but there can be no excuses for such a poor performance.”

Stand-in front man Michael Hedley had a stunning early volley ruled out for offside but that proved to be a false dawn.

Hucknall looked there for the taking but Dunn’s men struggled to pass the ball and came up with a catalogue of errors.

Town’s 25th-minute opener was a gift as Blyth captain Peter Snowdon’s fresh-air clearance allowed the unmarked Peter Knox to convert Eric Grave’s low cross. England C keeper Adam Bartlett then missed his punch from Michael Galloway’s free kick and Knox bundled the ball over the line.

Alex Gildea had a shot tipped over at the other end and Knox almost claimed his hat-trick in first-half stoppage time.

And the faltering Spartans were unable to capitalise when Hucknall midfielder Ian Robinson was sent off straight after the break.

Robinson saw red after a clash with Ben Christensen but it took Blyth until the 80th minute to register their first shot on target in the second period.

Christensen’s goalbound shot was then headed into his own net by Mark Haran but Hucknall deservedly held on to win.

BLYTH SPARTANS: Bartlett 6, CHRISTENSEN 7, Leeson 7, Snowdon 5 (Birks 45, 7), Williams 6, Brown 6, Hedley 7 (Webster 67, 6), McCabe 6, Houlahan 5, Stephenson 5 (Johnson 45, 5), Gildea 6. Subs not used: Boyle, Fenton.

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