After taking a step in the right direction last weekend when at home to Sunderland West End, there was a sense of two steps back by the time Ryton & Crawcrook Albion also walked through the same Scotswood doors on Tuesday night.
Two steps back after going two goals down and after Newcastle Blue Star succumbed to their third defeat in six league outings, hopes of earning one of four invites to the playoff phase of the season are far from secure.
Going into this weekend, Blue Star find themselves in the top three of the Northern League Division Two table. However, just nine points separate they and Easington Colliery in sixth, a margin that if current form continues could easily be eroded.
Which creates a level of jeopardy between now and the end of the season and with less than four weeks to squeeze in nine more league outings, the first of those remaining nine pits them against the toughest opponent of all.
That opponent is Blyth Town and with them currently 21 points clear of both Blue Star and Bedlington Terriers at the time of writing, the champagne is currently on ice as their promotion party will soon get underway.
Whereas Blue Star have picked up just seven points from the last 18 on offer, Blyth Town have been the reflection of perfection during their last six league matches. Not only have they earned a maximum of 18 additional deposits in their league bank account, but also 25 goals to go with it.
Numbers that highlight the task that manager Marc Nash and his players will have to deal with at the weekend and with this being the first of two successive weekends where the league leaders play the role of opponents, these games will be the ideal barometer for the what is left of the season.
Positive results against the champions elect will only breed further positivity for the playoffs that should then follow and although the race for the league crown has been all but run, Blue Star’s own promotion bid is far from over.
Something which sets up this upcoming clash rather nicely. A warm welcome goes out to the visiting Blyth Town team and support and for those who lend their voice to the home team, make sure to bring the noise throughout.