Newcastle Blue Star maintained their eight-point lead at the top of the Northern Alliance Premier Division as they came from behind to win 5-2 against a well-disciplined Killingworth side.
‘The Star’ would take an early lead in the 18th minute with Dan Lanning grabbing his 16th league goal of the season, from the penalty spot. Killingworth then found two goals in two minutes with number six and number ten’s – 35th and 37th minute strikes, giving the away side a surprise lead heading into half-time break.
Blue Star however would fight back and show their quality with four second half goals to secure the win. Nelson Ogbewe grabbed the equaliser in the 53rd minute, with the home side then regaining the lead two minutes later through Craig McFarlane. Goals from Gary Ormston and Marc Lancaster in the 69th and 73rd minute would make it a much more comfortable end to the game, as Blue Star ran out 5-2 winners.
This game in previous season’s has often been a crucial affair at the top of the division however the same could not be said for this season, with the gap between the two sides widening this season - as Newcastle Blue Star top the division while Killingworth sit 8th in the table.
The home side controlled the play early on with Killingworth struggling to keep possession of the ball. Blue Star’s early pressure would eventually lead to an opening goal in the 18th minute, with Lanning converting calmly from the penalty spot after Luke Carr had been pulled down in the box.
Following their opener Blue Star seemed to take their foot off the gas and let Killingworth back into the game. This compliancy eventually cost the home side as Killingworth found an equaliser in the 35th minute, when a looping corner kick found number 6 in the box and the defender headed home.
Blue Star didn’t seem to learn their lesson as Killingworth then took the lead two minutes later, with a lofted ball catching the Blue Star defence off guard and number 10 punishing them with a smart lobbed finish.
Then to round off a dramatic four minutes of action, Blue Star were then given a penalty in the 39th minute when Ogbewe was brought down in the box. Lanning would again step up to the penalty spot but sadly for the youngster, he could not recreate the success of his first penalty as his effort was fantastically saved by the Killingworth goalkeeper.
Blue Star’s missed penalty meant Killingworth went into half-time break with a surprise 2-1 lead.
The home side were out early from half-time looking to right their wrongs from the first half and they went on to right those wrongs early in the second half, finding a equaliser in the 53rd minute. It would be Lanning involved again with the youngster’s effort on goal rebounding off the goalkeeper and eventually falling at the feet of Ogbewe, who would calmly slot home with his right foot.
In similar fashion to Killingworth in the first half, Blue Star would grab another goal in quick fashion as only a minute later the home side would take the lead – with McFarlane scoring from close range following another rebound from the Killingworth goalkeeper.
Blue Star would then receive their third penalty of the game when Jack Donnison was tripped in the box in the 69th minute. Following Lanning’s earlier miss, penalty duties were handed to skipper Ormston, who calmly slotted his penalty into the bottom right-hand corner.
As the away side tired, Blue Star’s class started to prevail with the Scotswood side finding a fifth goal in the 73rd minute, when McFarlane’s cross found Lancaster at the back post and the left-back slotted home.
Despite trying, Killingworth could not re-create there first half heroics eventually tiring as the game wore on, meaning Blue Star would take all three points.