Seaham Red Star 3-4 Newcastle Benfield: Lions make it three wins from three in another dramatic encounter
Seaham Red Star 3-4 Newcastle Benfield
Benfield continued where they left off from the weekend beating Seaham Red Star to make it three wins from three and two from two under their new management team.
In the 23rd minute, Benfield were awarded a penalty for handball. Andre Bennett scored and gave the visitors the lead. Five minutes later Glen Hargrave made it two for Benfield.
On the 35th minute Noah Millington extended Benfield’s lead and Jakub Zych scored again for The Lions to add a fourth with no reply before half time.
Just after the break, Seaham got one back through Michael Colquhoun in the 47th minute, Seaham scored again with Arran Wearmouth netting in the 61st minute and added a third just five minutes later via Matty Weirs.
Benfield were named the Ebac Northern Football League team of the weekend for their win against Marske United and were looking to bring that same level of performance against Seaham.
The game started with both sides having chances, but Andrew Ferguson’s side were gifted the opener when a penalty was awarded for a handball. Bennett scored, placing it into the bottom right corner, sending the keeper the other way.
Not long after the Seaham keeper was attempted to play out from the back but was pressed by Zych who won the ball off him and found Hargrave on the edge of the box. He looped the ball into an empty net to double the Lions’ lead.
Next, a great ball from Kyle Fryatt found Millington who drove at the full-back isolating him 1v1. He shifted it onto his left foot to finish across the keeper into the right-hand side of the goal for three.
But, Newcastle Benfield didn’t let up there. Lewis Orrell played a line-splitting pass into Millington who had space. The forward unselfishly squared it to Zych in the middle who slotted it into the bottom right corner to make it four.
Red Star did come out in the second half fighting and they made a game of it. Just minutes after the break poor defending from Benfield saw Colquhoun finish from close range. 4-1.
They got within two of their opponents after an in-swinging corner was not cleared and fell to Wearmouth who got the slightest of touches on it to flick it through Thomas Shanley in the Benfield goal.
On the 66th minute Weirs waltzed through the Benfield defence to place it home into the bottom right corner to turn the game on its head.
The late fightback was not enough however, for the hosts and they fell short of getting an equaliser. The win has taken Benfield up to 15th in the table, creating a gap of nine points between them and Seaham Red Star upon the full time whistle.
Up next for Newcastle Benfield is a home outing against play-off hopefuls Kendal Town this weekend.
