This game saw the start of the new season with all the pre-season games finished and all the new instructions in training from coach Colin Stromsoy to be brought into action.
After a month of pre-season training and all of the new signings getting to know their team mates, it only took four minutes for Benfield to concede their first goal of the season.
It came with a fine three man move down the Benfield left flank with the cross arriving to find Jamie Owens who smartly placed a left foot shot past Benfield keeper Andrew Grainger giving him no chance of saving making it 1-0 to Newton Aycliffe.
The home team looked quick off the mark and with ten minutes gone a swift move down the right wing saw the ball played into Ben Reay who thought he had scored, only to be prevented by a brilliant save from Benfield keeper Andrew Grainger. Two minutes later Aycliffe came close again to getting a second goal after a strong move down the left wing resulted with an overlap by Joe Ferguson, who unluckily saw his effort just go inches wide of the Benfield far post.
It was the turn of Benfield to come near to an equaliser when a pass from Sam Reid found Ryan McGorrigan who saw his cross shot go wide of the Northallerton goal. Without looking really dangerous, Benfield were starting to get more into the game keeping possession of the ball and looking the more likely to get the second goal of the match.
Play then started to level up with neither team causing a great concern to either goalkeeper, but in the thirty-sixth minute a pass down the line by found Ben Dibb-Fuller who saw his well hit shot saved by Aycliffe keeper Adam McHugh. Play then continued to half time with no real danger to either side’s goal, leaving the halftime score at 1-0 to Newton Aycliffe.
As in the fourth minute of the first half when the opening goal was scored it should have been in the fourth minute of the second half when Benfield should have had an equaliser. The ball was played through to substitute Cameron Gascoigne, leaving him with a 1 on 1 situation with the Aycliffe goalkeeper Aiden McHugh, but unfortunately for Benfield he put his shot wide of the goal.
The visitors had obviously had a strong talking to at halftime by coach Col Stromsoy, as a minute later after a corner was headed out by a Northallerton defender it fell to Benfield’s Leighton Watts 20 yards out who saw his well struck effort go inches wide of the target.
The clock had ticked to fifty-eight minutes when Benfield had a glorious chance of an equaliser, Connor Walker was in on goal with another 1 on 1 situation with the Northallerton keeper Adam McHugh but he kept on delaying a shooting opportunity and it was cleared away.
Ten minutes later and Aycliffe were indebted to their goalkeeper Adam McHugh, who brought off a brilliant save after a corner was met by the head of Benfield’s Brad Varga with it looking destined for the net.
Fifteen minutes of the game remained when the second goal of the match was scored, and again it went to the home team, a cross from the left wing found Jack Clarkson who casually rolled a left foot shot into the bottom corner of the net past goalkeeper Andrew Grainger making the score 2-0.
It looked like it was all over but with twelve minutes remaining Benfield got a goal back, the ball was controlled by Ryan McGorrigan who, with the outside of his right foot flicked the ball into the top corner of the goal making the score 2-1.
Despite the visitors getting a goal back the home team were not flustered and came close to a third goal from a strong effort finger tipped over the bar by Grainger from a freekick which came after a foul by Aiden Haley which resulted in his second caution therefore moving to a red card.
Time was running out for Benfield but they came close twice in the last five minutes, in the forty-second minute a cross from Cameron Gascoigne was met by Keiron Watson with his shot going just wide of the target.
A minute later with it all being Benfield in an attacking sense Aycliffe saw goalkeeper Adam McHugh come to their rescue making a good save from Cameron Gascoigne, after a corner leaving the score at 2-1 which was the final score.
Man of the Match … Sam Read.