THE GATEWAY PARK MYSTERY

Blyth Town 0 Brandon United 0 – Ebac Northern League Division Two:

It’s a simple enough mystery:  How the hell did this game finish goalless?  The match should have been done and dusted by half-time.  Somehow Blyth Town spurned chance after chance.  Brandon keeper Aaron Skelton played his part too, pulling off a couple of very decent saves.

The mystery started to unravel in the 6th minute.  A cross was tamely kicked by a defender, falling at the feet of Louis Calvert.  His shot produced a fine save by Skelton.  Three minutes later Calvert had another chance, this time hit into the side netting.

Blyth continued to dominate the half.  Captain Joseph Gibson sending over a couple of good crosses as he attacked down the right.  No. 9 Callum Johnston then hit a shot across the Brandon goal.  Just before the half hour, Skelton was on hand again, pushing another effort by Calvert out for a corner.

At one point a Brandon player shouted:  “We’ve got to keep the ball.”  The plea fell on deaf ears and the home team continued to hog the ball and the chances.  Brandon’s only attempt of any merit was a 30-yard free kick by Connor Brown that hit the stanchion.

They steadied the ship for the last 10 minutes of the first half and came out in better shape in the second.  No doubt words had been exchanged in the dressing room at half time.  Two minutes into the half, No. 6 Matthew Taylor was within inches of connecting with a free kick.  Any contact and it would have been a certain goal.  That was followed by a shot by Adam Metcalfe – well saved by Blyth keeper Johnathan Ball – with a follow-up shot by Adam Knowles blocked by Blyth left back Dan Hopper.

The game had developed into a much more even contest.

Johnston came close in the 66th minute, trying to lob Skelton but the ball fell over the bar and Blyth finished the stronger of the two.  Gibson couldn’t get a header down and on target from a corner, Skelton got a hand to a Matthew Nelson effort and then Rhys McLeod sent a shot wide right.  Their last two chances fell to Josh Willis and Nelson.

It proved to be a strong but fruitless search for a goal.

Mike Snowdon