Hexham 2-0 North Shields

Despite the home side having more of the game in the opening half shields stopper Tallen Campbell was not troubled to much as most of the game was being played out in the middle third. Hexham felt they had done enough to be in front but with no breakthrough they just had to be patient to get their noises in front in the next forty five minute
That was the plan but shields had other ideas and come out feeling they had competed with the home side and there was no reason why in the second half they could take the points. To be fair to the visitors they edged the early encounters but there was still very little between the sides. On the seventy minute mark the game took a match winning swing to Hexham, Liam Heenan did well to keep possession when it looked like it was running away from him. He managed to get a shot away which caught Campbell out but he did well to get a hand to the ball as it looked to be creeping in at the near post. He was unable to hold on to the shot and it bounced back along the line which created a three man chase between Ali Stobbs and his marker along with Campbell who reacted swiftly to defend his goal, thankfully Stobbs won that race and hurled himself at the ball when the defender and the keeper looked favourite to win.

Spectators were still unsure what part of his body Ali managed to get on the ball but it was now nestling in the corner of the net as he wheeled away in celebration and no one cared. Within two minutes Hexham had turned the screw to secure all three vital points. Ali was again involved in this goal; he broke into the box and was just about to get a good strike on the ball when a lunging tackle felled him before he could get enough power in his shot to trouble the keeper. With the team appealing for a penalty Campbell could only parry the ball back into the danger area where Mark Gibson completed Ali's good work and blasted the ball into the goal.

This goal puts Mark within one goal of equalling the all time record for goal scorers since the Alliance team was resurrected six years ago. With seven games to go Mark has his sights firmly on Iain Strachan's record which has stood despite Iain moving on three years ago. This was enough to break the resolve of the shields men and the game fizzled out but you will not have to look far too seen one of the favourites for promotion next season providing that this side sticks together. More good news later in the day was received when news broke that table toppers Red House Farm had dropped points at home against Whickham Lang Jacks which meant that Hexham were now only four points behind with three games in hand sitting comfortably in second place. Hexham, Northbank and Wallsend have to all play each other before the curtain comes down on the campaign and with Red House dropping back into the pack there may be a few twists and turns before the table is assigned into the history books