Newton Aycliffe vs Newcastle Blue Star (16/08/2025)

Still in the first month of the new season but the fixtures are seemingly coming thick and fast. League action for Newcastle Blue Star on Wednesday night, a return to the road to Wembley this Saturday afternoon.

While league matters were rather prosperous in midweek as Marc Nash and his players picked up a first league win of the campaign. Going to Easington Colliery is never an easy task but this task was made to look like light work at the final whistle.

An enforced first half switch saw Nathan Kidd replace Dan Wilson in attack and if ever there was a super sub showing, then this was certainly it. The former coming on for the latter and scoring a second half treble, those three goals coming after Chris Reid put the visitors ahead before the break.

A much needed league win to make sure Blue Star can begin to thrust themselves up the table and although they will be keen to make it two in a row as soon as possible, focus now pivots back to the greatest knockout cup competition in the world.

It does so after their Extra Preliminary Round win over North Shields. The same venue as last season’s meeting in the same round, a 2-0 win almost the identical outcome to what played out 12 months ago.

Now though, the Scotswood outfit will be keen to claim another relative scalp after last season’s memorable victory over North Ferriby – they may have needed two bites of the cherry on that occasion, they finally swallowed it whole on the enemy territory.

North Ferriby operating in the same division as Saturday’s hosts Newton Aycliffe which will give Blue Star plenty of belief in that they can repeat last season’s feat of dumping out opposition from the tier above.

The Preliminary Round is where Newton Aycliffe join cup proceedings so no previous action to call upon but they do come into this game off the back of a 2-1 home win over Brighouse Town and it is that result which they will be keen to build on.

Something which sets up Saturday’s clash rather nicely indeed. A big thanks to Newton Aycliffe for the upcoming hospitality and for those attending from an away perspective, safe travels both there and back.