Steve Drench’s stunning double save in the last minute of normal time saw the Lions return down the A1 with all three points on a night when the uneven bounce on a gradually freezing pitch meant that good football was at a premium.

Skipper Simon Ainge opened the scoring for the visitors on 19 minutes, shooting home from close range from a corner which eluded everyone else before it fell to the big defender.  Prior to this, Lee Ellington’s cross was met by Chris Senior but was deflected behind off the back of a Blyth defender. Ellington also showed great skill in bringing down a cross-field pass and putting in a rasping shot – all in one movement – that Rob Birdsall did well to stop.

Ciaran Toner also brought a good stop from the keeper with his 20-yard fizzer whilst Glen Taylor, Jamie Mole and Lee Mason always looked dangerous for the home side. Mason wasted a good chance just before the break when he took too long to apply the finishing touch to Chris Emms’ good work and goalscorer Ainge got in with a timely intervention. The lively Emms also saw his effort punched away by Drench and Gavin Rothery fired just wide following good work by Toner and Ellington as halftime approached.

Danny Forrest put a header just over and then struck the angle on the resumption, but following a period of sustained pressure it was no surprise when Lee Mason powered home a header for the equaliser on 66 minutes. However, Spartans’ joy was short-lived as the Lions went straight down the other end and Forrest drifted across the 18-yard line before firing a sweet shot into the corner to restore the advantage. The visitors nearly put an end to the home side’s resistance, but Rothery’s effort was just the wrong side of the post.

However, there was drama still to come in the closing minutes. Following a corner Toner was adjudged to have fouled Wayne Buchanan, and when Drench guessed right to save Taylor’s spot kick he also recovered quickly enough to block Neal Hook’s follow up. And even though the referee added four minutes of stoppage time the score remained in the Lions’ favour.

Team:

1 – Steve Drench

2 – Jamie Clarke

3 – Dave Merris

4 – Ciaran Toner

5 – Michael Brough

6 – Simon Ainge  19

7 – Lee Ellington (O’Neill 85 )

8 – Andy  Holdsworth

9 – Chris Senior (Ellis 75)

10 – Danny Forrest 67

11 – Gavin Rothery

12 – James Booker

14 – Danny Ellis

15 – Joe O’Neill

16 – Michael Burns

17 – Jacob Giles