Once again it is a case of hopefully third time lucky as Newcastle Blue Star attempt to welcome Thornaby through their Scotswood doors on Saturday. The weather has come out on top twice already as far as these two sides are concerned, now matters should be decided on the pitch.
Matters that Blue Star manager Marc Nash and his players will look to improve on from seven days before and after suffering a 3-1 home defeat to Newcastle University, it also meant the second successive league loss in less than a week.
A pair of reverses that means Nash’s men start the weekend in third and with the discussion regarding the playoffs beginning to get louder, the first step will be to make sure Blue Star secure one of the four end of season invites as soon as possible.
Then again, that is not to say that hopes of winning the title outright have ended and although defeat to Newcastle University last Saturday was a bitter pill to swallow, the signs coming out of Blyth Town may just offer a glimmer of hope.
With Blyth Town suffering a surprise defeat of their own at the hands of Esh Winning, it does suggest that there might be the slightest chink in their armour and this runaway footballing train, may still be able to be stopped before the destination of automatic promotion.
Admittedly, it is going to take favours elsewhere in addition to a herculean level winning streak but that is not to say Blue Star are not up for the challenge. If anything, a challenge is what they revel in the most and this is when they truly start to flourish.
Add back-to-back league outings with the current league leaders still to follow and the landscape of the Northern League Division Two table could look very different by the time the regular season finishes in just under two months.
If it is to be a herculean level winning streak then it must without question start at home to Thornaby and with the visitors lying in midtable, they are another team that arrive in NE15 with the pressure off their own shoulders and them looking to place it on someone else’s.
Something which sets up this upcoming clash rather nicely. A warm welcome goes out to the visiting Thornaby team and support and for those who lend their voice to the home team, make sure to bring the noise throughout.