20/01/2024
By Chris Gibbs
Three goals in 12 minutes ensure away day win for Castle
Avro 0
Newcastle Town 3 | Avery (24), Stubbs (28), Jones (36)
Three goals in the space of 12 first half minutes ensured that the Neil Baker reign continued unbeaten as we put in a fine performance to earn a 3-0 win at Avro.
A Jake Avery header, which was his first goal for the club, a piledriver of a free kick from Kyle Stubbs - his second goal in three games and a magnificent team goal culminating in Tom Jones applying the finish from a lovely lay off from Jake were deserved reward for a committed team performance.
Our second half showing wasn't quite to the same high standard but we controlled the game and but for one save at his near post from Slinny, it was an untroubled day for our big man between the sticks and the four in front of him.
In fact, we could have had a fourth in the early stages of the second half - Tom Jones smacking an upright having also headed against the bar shortly before Jake Avery had put us in front.
There were excellent performances all over the pitch but it's right to highlight the collective efforts of our back four. Keeping a clean sheet at a team challenging for the play-offs is a terrific effort.
Ollie Ritchie and Jack Derbyshire were outstanding at full back - one cross from Ollie ought to have brought the game's first goal - Josh was his usual assured self while Stubbsy's return from the game was an assist, a goal and a clean sheet. Not bad from the big lad.
Our third goal, which effectively killed off the game, was a picture book effort. We worked the ball neatly through midfield into the inside right channel before Jake and Tom linked up to finish the home side off.
We now have a run of home Saturday fixtures starting with Clitheroe next week and despite remaining 13th in the league table are now only five points off the play-offs.
Momentum is building..
Team:
Slinn, Derbyshire, Ritchie, T. Van der Laan, (Diallo) Jordan, Stubbs, Graham, Avery, Jones, (Adu Gyamfi), Berks.
Man of the match:
Kyle Stubbs
Commentaires