Newcastle Blue Star 1 - 1 Blyth Town - Play Off Final - 02.05.25

By Adam Ingoe

After a well-fought season that saw them reach the Division One playoffs, The Star now

faced the final challenge in their pursuit of a third consecutive promotion up the football

pyramid.

The opening stages of the game showcased a magnificent effort by The Star, who dominated

possession and used it to build strong attacking momentum.

A solid defensive stand came in the 11th minute, when a Blyth Town corner landed dangerously in the box. Three consecutive shots from Blyth forwards followed, but The Star’s Paul Van Zandvliet intervened brilliantly, heading the ball clear and sparking a promising counterattack. However, Blyth Town keeper De Jesus reacted quickly and snuffed

out the danger.

In the 22nd minute, Blyth mounted a threatening attack, with winger Brandon Slater threading a through ball to Cameron Gascoigne, who crossed swiftly into the box—only for Dan Lister to collect it with ease. Five minutes later, a sharp delivery from Dan Wilson found Slater again, whose header rattled the crossbar, narrowly missing the opening goal.

Blue Star had a chance of their own in the 30th minute, when Michael Ndewini made a crucial pass to Daniel Lanning, whose shot narrowly missed the target. Another major opportunity followed in the 38th minute, once again nearly producing the opener for Blue Star.

The latter stages of the first half saw an evened-out competition, with both sides having chances on goal. None however were able to convert.

The second half opened with a brilliant opportunity for Blue Star, as Michael Ndewini was brought down just outside the box. Connor Oliver took the resulting free kick, but his delivery was met with a misplaced header that sent the ball narrowly wide of the target.

Newcastle Blue Star’s persistence finally paid off in the 55th minute, when a well-timed strike by Michael Ndewini pierced through the Blyth Town defence and found the back of the net, putting Blue Star 1–0 up and edging them closer to promotion.

In the 79th minute, Blue Star nearly doubled their lead when substitute Charlie Walker played an incisive pass to Luke Heppell, who made a promising run on goal. However, his effort was thwarted by a well-timed defensive block from Blyth Town.

Disaster struck for Blue Star in the 89th minute when Blyth Town were awarded a penalty.

Dan Wilson stepped up and confidently converted, levelling the score at 1–1 and sending the game to a penalty shootout.

A renewed confidence overtook Blyth Town after the equaliser, and they mounted several late attacks, creating a flurry of chances. However, none were converted, which meant the match progressed onto penalties.

The penalty shoot out that ensued all but confirmed Blyth Town’s promotion.