At a sun drenched Croft Park somebody should have reminded the Blyth Spartans players that they’re not on their holidays just yet as Gloucester City took full advantage of a lacklustre display from the hosts.
Spartans could only name three substitutes out of a possible five for this Blue Square Bet North fixture, and the end of the season can surely not arrive quickly enough for manager Mick Tait as injuries are really taking their toll on his already wafer thin squad.
Light relief, however, will come in the form of a two week break as Blyth don’t play their next game until Easter Saturday, when they travel to Lincolnshire to face Boston United.
Unavailable for selection were Neal Hooks, who failed to recover from an ankle injury in time, and Liam O’Mahoney, who is suffering from a sickness bug. Alan White picked up an injury in the first-half and was replaced by Chris Swailes (pictured above) during the interval, by which point Blyth were already trailing to strikes from Darren Mullings and Darren Eulands – from the penalty spot.
Not many teams have scored fewer goals than Gloucester this season but the toothless tigers found their opponents to be easy prey, and sensed blood from the first whistle as they took the game to Blyth.
Despite a sustained period of pressure from the visitors the first real chance came at the other end, and fell to Paul Brayson who pounced on a loose ball only to fire his effort wide of the mark when one-on-one with Kev Sawyer.
The away side then took a deserved lead on 20 minutes when after a neat passing move, Tom Webb teed up Mullings on the edge of the area, who drilled his shot low past Dan Lowson.
If the Blyth fans thought this would shake their team into life then they were sadly mistaken as Gloucester doubled their advantage 16 minutes after breaking the deadlock.
Sam Malsom’s cross bounced up in the area and hit White on the arm, leaving the referee no option but to point to the spot. Eulands then stepped up to send Lowson the wrong way from 12 yards.
Blyth should have halved the deficit just before the break but John Alexander delayed his shot long enough for Sawyer to smother at the feet of the striker.
The hosts continued to look shaky after the interval and only the woodwork denied Mullings a second of the game after some Keystone Cops defending in the Blyth area, as they failed to clear their lines despite several opportunities.
Blyth then began to show glimpses of their true potential, starting with an excellent ball by Stephen Turnbull (pictured left) which was met by an exquisite volley from Brayson, and only Sawyer knows how he saved from point blank range.
Sawyer frustrated Blyth again, when he flung himself the length of the goal line to tip a long range effort from Turnbull on to the post.
Michael Tait was the next Blyth player to find Sawyer in tremendous form as the midfielder’s shot from the edge of the area was palmed away.
And even when the towering goalkeeper was beaten, the post came to his rescue, this time to deny Brayson with time running out for the hosts to stage a comeback.
Phil Cave was in the right place to clear an effort from the goalmouth following an attempt from the dangerous Mullings, before the final whistle was blown on the penultimate home game of the season at Croft Park.
In their last league fixture of this campaign, Spartans entertain Guiseley on Monday 25th April, Kick-off 3pm.
Blyth Spartans: Lowson, Groves, Cave, Tait, Buchanan, White (Swailes), Alexander, Turnbull, Brayson, Deverdics, Dale
MOM: Cave
Gloucester City: Sawyer, Green (Mustoe), Parinello (Mann), Coupe, Evans, Malsom (Rose), Mullings, Webb, Eulands, Symons, Weir
MOM: Sawyer
Attendance: 414
Referee: Mr Ryan.