Jarrow 2, Newton Aycliffe 1
By Dave Strickland
Newton Aycliffe were knocked out of the FA Vase away to second division Jarrow.
Although not at their best in the windy conditions, Aycliffe had plenty of good chances to win the game, but went out of the competition with a 2-1 loss.
Jarrow started brightly with their centre forward McBryde spurning a couple of half chances. Aycliffe came into the game and fashioned a good move on 14 minutes, which earned them a corner.
A minute later, Dean Thexton headed a cross back into the danger area, but no Aycliffe player was there to finish it off.
Then Thexton had an overhead kick that went just wide. Jarrow responded and McBryde flashed a shot just past the far post. Aycliffe went ahead on 39 minutes when Johnson Ballan robbed a defender on the edge of the penalty area and slotted the ball low into the corner of the goal.
Early in the second half both sides traded shots. Then Jarrow got an equaliser. A long, high punt forward led to Nick Green misjudging the header and it fell straight to McBryde, who beat Adam Pickford in the Aycliffe goal.
Aycliffe then had two good chances to go ahead, but Ballan put a header over the bar, and Thexton lobbed the keeper but put it wide. Jarrow made Aycliffe pay in the 65th minute when a cross was headed back across the box and McBryde got there first to score his and Jarrow’s second.
Aycliffe were then denied an equaliser by a fantastic triple save from Jarrow keeper Wells.
Then Ballan put a great chance just wide of the post. Aycliffe kept pressing, with man-of-the match Lewis Walton prompting many attacks.
But the Aycliffe fans sensed that it wasn’t their team’s day, and so it proved, as Jarrow held on to progress to the next round.
Aycliffe’s next match is away at Seaham Ted Star on Saturday (September 21, 3pm).
