01/04/2023
By Chris Sweetman
PATRYK Mazurkiewicz’s first goal for Newcastle Town was not enough to stop them falling to a frustrating 4-1 defeat to Glossop North End at the Asgard Engineering Stadium.
Newcastle could have taken a significant step towards securing safety by beating 19th placed Glossop, but were left to rue missed first half chances.
Mazurkiewicz went close on a couple of occasions, before Keaton Mulvey bundled Glossop ahead just before half time.
After the break, Nathan Valentine doubled the lead with a powerful header from a corner.
Then Mulvey made sure of the points with a poachers finish at the back post, before Luke Nock underlined the performance with an identical goal.
Mazurkiewicz headed in the consolation with the last play of the game, but it was a small bright spot on a disappointing day for Newcastle.
Newcastle began the game strongly, with Luke Dennis earning an early chance off a Kyle Stubbs throw.
Minutes later, Mazurkiewicz – making his first start for the club – was inches away from the opening goal off Jack van der Laan’s free kick.
Mazurkiewicz continued to look lively throughout the half, frequently breaking off the shoulder off the last defender, but Glossop proved able to scramble and squeeze him.
Newcastle were the better team in the opening exchanges, without translating their advantage into goals, while Glossop began to get into the game after the first 15 minutes.
They managed to find Mulvey in space in the box, but he dawdled too long on his shot, which was blocked and Luke Nock fired the rebound well over.
Glossop then should have taken the lead shortly after, as Newcastle somehow scrambled the ball off the line after a corner.
Mulvey then should have done better as he was played in by a long ball, but his touch was poor, allowing Newcastle goalkeeper Joe Slinn to gather.
Glossop were starting to take control of the game, putting Newcastle under pressure, but without creating a clear-cut chance.
Instead it was the visitors who had the next chance, as James Askey’s clearance allowed Mazurkiewicz to break, but he was marshalled by the defence and his shot went wide.
Moments later, good work by Connor Russo won a throw-in, from which Askey was inches from poking in a loose ball.
Newcastle were enjoying a spell of pressure, with successive corners seeing Askey denied by defenders and Glossop goalkeeper Craig Ellison, before Luke Dennis’s header forced a save.
However, with half time looming Glossop took the lead, as their corner prompted a scramble, which saw Mulvey bundle the ball in.
The deficit was perhaps harsh on Newcastle, who had shown plenty of enterprise, but not quite the required quality in front of goal.
The second half began with Newcastle under pressure as Glossop mounted an early attack, but the early exchanges were scrappy.
Neither side could piece together any real momentum, as passes went astray, and players struggled to keep their feet.
Mazurkiewicz proved a reliable, if occasionally isolated, outlet for Newcastle, but neither side managed a real chance for the first 20 minutes of the half.
When the chance came it fell to Glossop, as a corner saw Valentine unmarked to thump home a powerful header for his first goal for the club.
Glossop were nearly in for a third as Nathan Morley undid all his good work in winning the ball back with a speculative long ball, which led to Glossop flashing a header just wide of goal.
The game then slipped back into the previous scrappy affair, with Newcastle flashes of good play, but never backing them up.
Instead, with ten minutes to go Mulvey secured the points for Glossop, as he raced to the back post to tap in a long cross.
From there Glossop controlled the game to keep Newcastle from trying to mount an unlikely comeback.
Substitute Jake Lovatt did fire a long range effort over for the visitors, before Slinn did well to deny Mulvey his hattrick.
However, Glossop made it four in injury time, as Nock popped up at the back post to rub salt in the wounds.
Although Newcastle went straight up the pitch from the restart for Mazurkiewicz to head in a consolation, it was small comfort on a desperately disappointing day.
Newcastle have slipped to 16th, and are just one place and two points above the relegation playoffs.
Newcastle have just four games left in the season, starting with the visit of Mossley next Saturday, before matches against Leek Town (A), Trafford (H) and finally relegated Ramsbottom United (A).