BRIGG TOWN FC 1 NEWCASTLE TOWN 2 - REPORT BY BOB TAYLOR

Jake Turner made his home debut in goal for Brigg Town who were looking for a win to change fortunes in their current poor run of results. 

The presence and striking ability of Paul Grimes was sadly missed up front where Jordan Thewlis partnered Ryan Paczkowski. From the kick off the Brigg team forced a corner kick on the right wing but goalkeeper David Parton confidently held the cross in his area.  Then Ollie Fisher found Danny Buttle in space on the left wing but his deep cross into the penalty area was cleared. Brigg continued to push forward with attacks down the left wing but the crosses into the goal area were well defended and finally cleared after a foul against Ryan Paczkowski for pushing. Brigg opened the scoring in the eighteenth minute of the game after the ball was played from the centre circle to Jordan Thewlis on the right side of the penalty area and he rolled it on for GEORGE ZUERNER to find the back of the net from ten yards out.

Newcastle responded and won a free kick on the left outside the Brigg area but Jake Turner saved well by tipping Thoms Urwin’s shot over the bar and Ollie Fisher headed the resulting corner kick well clear. Jake Turner then saved well from another attack down the right wing and Ollie Fisher was in position again to head the ball away from the goal line. As the visitors continued to press in search of an equaliser, Jordan Cole tried a speculative over-head kick in front of goal after good approach play by Tim Sanders but Jake Turner held on to the ball. Play was end to end in a really entertaining game between two well matched teams with Daniel Skelton firing a shot over the Brigg cross bar whilst at the other end, Jordan Thewlis pulled a shot across the face of the Newcastle goal, leaving the home team ahead by the single first half goal.

Brigg began the second half on the offensive but a free kick into the area in their first attack was cleared. Newcastle responded again with the ball switched across the pitch from the left to the other wing but Jake Turner held on to the final shot well.  Eight minutes into the half, the game changed after the visitors won a penalty kick. George Zuerner  missed his attempted tackle on Thomas Urwin inside the penalty area on the left wing  and brought him down allowing  TIM SANDERS the opportunity to drive the spot kick into the back of the net. Newcastle gained more confidence to push forward and took control of the game but Brigg defended well until ultimately giving the winning goal away three minutes from time after Ollie Fisher’s mis-directed headed clearance was picked up on the left wing and crossed into the penalty area for DANIEL SHELTON to knock the loose ball into the back of the net from close range. Brigg pushed forward seeking something from the game but were unlucky to see a header from Scott Hellewell bouncing clear from the top angle of the woodwork in virtually the last attack of the game.

Brigg Town:  Turner, Ashton, Matthews, Bowsley, Fisher, Jacklin, Zuerner, Dickens,               Paczkowski, Thewlis, Buttle. Subs:  Broughton(82) for Thewlis, Hellewell (90) for Zuerner;              Collishaw, Wright and Iggleden not used.

Attendance:    82,