It was nice to be able to watch another Benfield home game in what seemed a lifetime since the last home game with Newton Aycliffe being the visitors. Newton Aycliffe were sharp from the first minute and looked dangerous in attack. The 3rd minute brought the first effort on goal when Aycliffe fullback Dan Myers advanced down the left wing and crossed the ball into the box, finding team mate Eddie Thomas who shot well, bringing a decent save from Benfield keeper Alfie Gordon. Play then became scrappy from both teams and this was confirmed in the 12th minute when Aycliffe wasted a shooting opportunity after being awarded a free kick just outside the Benfield penalty area, but Joe Ferguson hit the Benfield wall and it was cleared away.
The wind was getting stronger by the minute and it contributed to a poor back pass with Newton Aycliffe being denied the opening goal, after a good save from Benfield keeper Alfie Gordon.
The first decent effort from Benfield came in the 18th minute, and after a well worked move Paul Brayson saw his well struck shot parried by the Aycliffe keeper Adam McHugh for a corner, which came to nothing.
It was the visitors who looked the sharpest and they came close to getting the opening goal in the 21st minute after a swift break and strong shot on target from Ethan Wood, who saw Benfield keeper Alfie Gordon produce another good save.
The opening goal of the game arrived in the 25thminute with it going to the visitors Newton Aycliffe, and what a goal it was, after picking the ball up MARC COSTELLO advanced forward and from 30 yards crashed the ball into the top corner of the net, giving Benfield keeper Alfie Gordon little chance of saving, making the score line 1-0 to Newton Aycliffe.
It didn’t take long for the second goal to arrive and again in the 33rdminute it went to the visitors; as with the first goal the Benfield keeper had no chance of saving, as the ball flashed past high into the top corner of the net from a left foot drive from LIAM JARVIE, making the score 2-0 to Aycliffe.
Halftime was approaching and it took a good save from Benfield goalkeeper Alfie Gordon to deny Newton Aycliffe getting a third goal, saving well from Ethan Wood and leaving the score 2-0.
The next goal of the game came in the 49thminute, with the visitors claiming their third goal, a pass from Ethan Wood found LIAM JARVIE at the far post, and he confidently placed it into the back of the net making the score 3-0 to Newton Aycliffe. Despite being 3 nil down, to their credit Benfield kept on pressing and were rewarded in the 50th minute with a fluke goal, after the Aycliffe goalkeeper Adam McHugh completely missed a back pass with the ball trickling into an empty net making the score 3-1 to Newton Aycliffe.
Newton Aycliffe came close to a fourth goal in the 63rd minute and only a combination of Alfie Gordon who saved the shot and Brad Varga who cleared the ball off the line denied Aycliffe a fourth goal.
It wasn’t long however before Newton Aycliffe got their fourth goal of the game, a break away in the 75th minute saw a fine team effort rewarded when LIAM ADAMSON scored a fine goal to make it 4-1 to Aycliffe.
Despite being second best, Newcastle Benfield did not give up and were rewarded with a second goal in the 73rd minute, a good three man move ended with a cross to the far post seeing RYAN McGORRIGAN dispatch the ball into the net making the score 4-2. Both teams kept on advancing forward and it took a good save from Benfield’s Alfie Gordon in the 76thminute, to deny a Eddie Thomas header from making it five. Lewis Leech had come on as a substitute for Benfield and he was soon into the action after a good team move saw him gain possession in the 86th minute and shoot, to bring a fine save out of the goalkeeper Adam McHugh. This left the score at 4-2 to Newton Aycliffe which was the final score.
