Damage in the Box!: NEWCASTLE TOWN (Lyme Valley Stadium)

After the excursions of the previous week, it was a lie in for today so that meant selecting a game closer to home. Newcastle Town have had a great start to the season with 14 straight wins from the off, easily smashing the league record. Couple that with the fact St Helens are not doing too bad themselves meant this seemed an obvious choice of game.

Newcastle Town play on a pitch in the middle of the Lyme Valley Parkway Stadium, which is a cycle track and is where Chris Boardman used to have to travel to for practice before the velodrome was built. The ground has a seated stand on one side of the arena and a covered terrace on the other. The views were actually not that bad, in comparison to some other athletic grounds.

The game itself was good entertainment. Newcastle had the best of the early exchanges but didn't look as fluid as you think a team who'd won all their games this season would, resorting to the long ball on more than one occasion. They eventually took the lead on 20 minutes when Chris Budrys was on hand to tuck away a cross from John Sheldon from about a yard out.

St Helens were dealt a double whammy when they lost keeper Graham McCall, who injured his hand when attempting to cut out Sheldon's cross. With no substitute 'keeper on the bench midfielder Ben Kay was forced to go between the sticks. This galvanised St Helens into action and they dominated the remainder of the half. Newcastle were very fortunate to hold their lead, goalkeeper Danny Read twice making fine saves to maintain the home sides lead. Kay was forced into his first meaningful save right on the stroke of half time, saving well from Budrys.

The second half continued where the first left off with the visitors dictating play and having the better chances, the best falling to Rob Hanley who lofted an effort over the bar with only the 'keeper to beat. Eventually, completely against the run of play Newcastle scored their second, and utimately decisive, goal when a long punt up field was latched onto by Jordan Johnson, who beat a defender and fired home at the near post after 71 minutes. The game was finally over when Johnson fired home a free-kick from the edge of the area after 82 minutes and make it 15 league wins on the trot for Newcastle Town, though St Helens can consider themselves very, very unlucky.