Newcastle Blue Star vs Kendal (24/03/2026)

Back-to-back wins are hard to secure in Division One of the Northern League – a testament to how competitive this competition is, any team in any position is more than capable of taking points off each other.

With all that being said, Newcastle Blue Star have achieved that feat in the past week and after getting the better of Newcastle Benfield seven days ago, they subsequently got the better of Birtley on Friday night.

Another three points in the bank for Paul Brayson’s men, a task they had to complete the hard way after going behind on the stroke of half time. A goal that changed the team talk given to his players but whatever was said in the dressing room certainly had a positive effect.

Birtley starting the second half a goal ahead but would then see themselves a man light after a second yellow for James Proctor. Two quickfire cautions, a cautionary tale for his teammates left on the field of play.

From that point, it was Blue Star who found the momentum in their bid to earn all three and when you give Dan Lanning a dead ball from outside the box, his ability to strike with power is enough to make opposition goalkeepers wince.

Lanning’s vicious strike 10 minutes from time restoring parity and two minutes later, Blue Star had themselves ahead for the first time on the night thanks to Sean Reid. Birtley soon reduced to nine men due to a sinbin, their shortage of personnel also leading to a third for the hosts.

A win that keeps playoff hopes alive at the KD Stadium and with five games of the season remaining, Blue Star now have to run the gauntlet to perfection. Starting tonight with the visit of Kendal – a side that currently sit fourth in the table but have yet to guarantee an extension to the campaign.

Every point matters from here on in, not just from this fixture but across many other grounds up and down the division. It is not just a case of what happens this evening, it is also the knock-on effect of other results. The sprint to the finish begins.

Something which sets up tonight’s clash rather nicely. A warm welcome goes out to the visiting Kendal Town team and support and for those who lend their voice to the home team, make sure to bring the noise throughout.