Newton Aycliffe are aiming to bounce back from three straight defeats this weekend.
The Newtonians entertain Penrith in the Ebac Northern League first division at Moore Lane Park on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
After narrowly losing at Seaham last week, Aycliffe were dumped out of the Emirates FA Cup with a 2-1 defeat at Albion Sports last weekend.
And the Blues crashed to a 5-2 defeat at home to West Auckland on Tuesday night.
Aycliffe gave a spirited performance against the league-leaders, but the firepower of the West forwards proved too much.
The home side gifted West an early lead in the eighth minute when Grant Hickman failed to clear his lines, and then pulled a player back. Bell scored from the resulting spot-kick.
West got another penalty on 22 minutes, and again Bell made no mistake from the spot.
West were now on top and got a third after 34 minutes. Aycliffe didn’t mark tightly around the penalty area, allowing West to work an opening for a shot. Jack McLaren could only push it out into the path of ex-Aycliffe player Ben Wood, who put away the loose ball.
Aycliffe came back into it and Craig Hutchinson had a shot cleared off the line. Then McHugh made a good save from a Marc Costello header.
The early exchanges of the second half were even, with Alan Harrison playing well at full-back against West’s Wearmouth.
But then league top scorer Nathan Fisher made it four on 62 minutes, getting in first when Aycliffe failed to clear their lines.
Three minutes later, Aycliffe got on the scoresheet when a good team move was finished well by Pennal when he lobbed over McHugh.
Aycliffe pushed on and McHugh had to tip a Craig Hindmarch piledriver over the bar.
But any hopes of a comeback were dashed though when Fisher got his second and West’s fifth, showing silky skills in the box before curling it past McLaren.
Aycliffe kept going, and were rewarded when Pennal scored his second, after a good team move.
Aycliffe, 16th in the table after four games, take on 19th-placed Penrith looking to make amends on Saturday.
