Northallerton were the opposition for Newcastle Benfield at Sam Smiths Park, and the visitors nearly opened the scoring in the first minute of the game when a corner was scrambled away to safety. It was Benfield’s chance a minute later, when they were awarded a free kick taken by Dennis Knight, which found the head of teammate Liam McNamara, but unfortunately came to nothing.
Although Benfield had started brighter, it was Northallerton who should have opened the scoring in the fifth minute, when a corner was met by the head of Northallerton centre half Dan Jones, who had a free head at goal. His chance however was missed when he headed wide of the Benfield goal.
Play lacked any real threat to either team until the twelfth minute, when a Benfield attack involving Dennis Knight, Ryan McGorrigan and Layton Watts ended with Northallerton goalkeeper Sam Taylor easily collecting the cross.
A minute later and Benfield were indebted to goalkeeper Alfie Gordon who made a great save after a cross from Northallerton’s Steven Roberts found the head of Matthew Waters, with the ball looking like it was heading into the top corner of the net.
This left the half time score at 0-0, with both teams doing well to get nil in a game of poor quality and giving the ball away.
The second half continued as in the first half and it was in the sixty-eighth minute of the half when good play by Benfield ended with a cross to the far post, which was confidently collected by Northallerton keeper Sam Taylor.
The opening goal of the game should have gone to Northallerton in the seventy-first minute, when a swift break down the Benfield right ended with a poor effort over the crossbar by Northallerton’s Nathan Stephenson.
Then it was the turn of Benfield to get a goalscoring opportunity, when a good break and cross from out on the left wing saw Ryan McGorrigan head over the bar.
The game continued up to the thirty-ninth minute when poor play by Benfield’s Kyle Errington allowed a cross into Benfield’s near post to be well defended away to safety by Joe Robson leaving the score at 1-0 which was also the halftime score.
After the half time break Benfield brought on substitute Dennis Knight for the second half and he had a scoring chance in the fifty-first minute when he should have hit the ball with his right foot instead of using his left foot which produced a weak shot on goal.
Play had advanced to the seventy-eighth minute, when a great pass found Northallerton player Steven Roberts, but his effort was that high over the Benfield goal it nearly hit the moon.
It was the turn of Northallerton goalkeeper Sam Taylor to show his skills, when he made a fine save from Layton Watts after he received a pass from Dennis Knight.
Play of a poor quality by both teams advanced towards the final whistle with neither team looking as if a goal would be scored, although Northallerton were unfortunate when they hit the Benfield post with five minutes left.
This was the final effort of note in the game with the match ending in a 0-0 draw. Man of the Match … Joe Robson.