Accrington Stanley 2 Blyth Spartans 3

IN A game of end to end action, the first period was even until on 27 minutes a good cross in from the left was headed home from eight yards by Stuart Young to make it 1-0 to Blyth.

On 32 minutes, Robertson's corner from the right was put over the line from close range by Peter Smith to make it 1-1. A tremendous through ball from Edmunds created an opportunity for Robertson who shot over from just inside the area on 38 minutes. After 41 minutes Jez Baldwin touched the ball back to Mulloy when with hindsight he would have been better conceding a corner.

Mulloy had to hurry his clearance and the ball rebounded off Willie Moat into an empty net to restore Blyth's lead. On 44 minutes a well-struck 30-yard drive from Rogerson was caught by Burridge to end the first half action. The second half saw both teams working very hard to get on top until on 55 minutes Robertson's cross from the left was headed out to Darren Quick who hit a powerful low drive past the outstretched hand of Burridge into the bottom right hand corner of the net from fully 25 yards to level the scores.

On 65 minutes Rob Mulloy made a tremendous save pushing a cross shot onto the post before the ball was hastily cleared. Smith headed just past the post from a Quick free kick with Burridge beaten on 75 minutes. In the 85th minute substitute Henderson scored with a header from six yards out from a cross from Ritchie Bond to give Blyth a 3-2 lead and despite intense pressure from Stanley in the last five minutes, the score remained the same robbing the Reds of a deserved point.

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