Second versus third going into Tuesday night. Second becomes third at the end of it and after Newcastle Blue Star’s loss at fellow promotion rivals Bedlington Terriers, hopes of automatic progress have taken a sizeable dent.
Defeat at Doctor Pit Park will certainly have been tough medicine for manager Marc Nash and his players to swallow, even more so as they have ceded further ground to leaders Blyth Town in the quest for league honours.
Just a single goal was the difference in midweek, as the Terriers had more bite on the night. They also had a numerical superiority on the field play for more than 45 minutes and advantages such as those are always going to help you along the way.
Shaun Ryder’s sending off before the break meaning it was not a happy evening for him. It was not a happy evening for those fans who made the journey from Scotswood – although it is fair to say their ire was positioned more at the officials.
Not a great performance from those overseeing the laws of the game but more than a commendable performance from the visitors after the break. The kitchen sink and more was thrown in a bid to level the score, unfortunately, any attempts on goal only managed to circle the drain.
Which brings us to the weekend and if the weather behaves itself, the first of four successive home league matches. Four matches that may finally offer this evolving team the chance to string some genuine momentum together.
Playing the role of opponents are Newcastle University and like so many other clubs in the division, they still have a backlog of fixtures to clear before the scheduled end of season date in April. 17 and counting between now and the final day, their team are certainly going to be busy from here on in.
Coming into this game, they currently sit 13th and comfortably within the confines of midtable. No real threat of relegation allows them the freedom to play and look ahead to next season, that freedom can sometimes create a banana skin for teams further up the league ladder.
Something which sets up this upcoming clash rather nicely. A warm welcome goes out to the visiting Newcastle University team and support and for those who lend their voice to the home team, make sure to bring the noise throughout.