Although last weekend’s trip to Kendal was keenly anticipated by a legion of travelling support ready to set off from the KD Stadium, unfortunately Storm Darragh had other ideas and with a deluge of rain scuppering any visit to the Lake District, it also meant an enforced hiatus for Newcastle Blue Star.
An enforced hiatus that also means Marc Nash’s men find themselves placed a position further back than when they were last in league action and with them starting this weekend sitting fourth, they now visit the team that has recently leapfrogged them.
Because on the same night that Shildon put six unanswered league goals past Northallerton Town, Blue Star were suffering a League Cup exit and as a consequence, Saturday’s hosts are now two points better off – albeit having played a game more in this season’s Northern League Division One.
Blue Star’s League Cup exploits saw them handed a home tie with Darlington and although the aim was to earn safe passage to the next round of the competition, it turned out their aim was slightly off during a penalty shootout.
Bitter disappointment in not only failing to win from 12 yards but also across the 90 minutes of stalemate beforehand and although you cannot take any positive from cup exit, you can at least frame it as no more distractions from here on in.
From now until the end of the season, it is league action all the way and with the promotion pack seemingly getting larger rather than contracting, the quest to not only finish in the top five but even the top one is intensifying by the week.
While Blue Star manager Nash will look for the same level of intensity that was on offer during their recent 4-1 home win over Whitley Bay. A brace for both Dan Lanning and Paul Dudgeon making sure of a fifth league win in from their last six attempts.
Especially as Shildon’s demolition of Northallerton was the exclamation point of their recent run of form and with them winning each of their last five league games, they also sit third in the form table and who sits top of that tree, it is none other than Blue Star themselves.
Something which sets up this weekend’s clash rather nicely indeed. A big thanks to Shildon for their upcoming hospitality and for those attending from an away perspective, safe travels both there and back.