Hyde United v Blyth Spartans | Saturday, 5 April 2025 - 15:00 | League

Spartans suffered a 3-2 defeat at Hyde despite a spirited performance.

Blyth opened the scoring through Dean Briggs in the 6th minute. Brad Holmes then equalised for Hyde in the 15th minute.

Hyde took the lead in the 50th minute when Jack Redshaw converted a penalty that he won after Lewis Baker fouled him. Briggs scored an impressive goal in the 54th minute to equalise for Spartans.

Unfortunately, Harry Showman scored in the 84th minute to send Blyth home with no points.

This was Blyth's first game after Michael Connor resigned with Colin Myers and Derek Forrest taking charge.

Spartans started strongly in the 3rd minute with Kevin Prudhoe having a shot from outside the box that went well over.

In the 6th minute, Blyth took the lead when Briggs charged to get on the end of a through-ball. Callum Hiddleston tried to clear it but Briggs was able to block it. It deflected forward and Briggs was able to tap it into an empty net.

Spartans continued to put pressure on and in the 10th minute, they nearly scored from a cross. Hiddleston managed to get a hand on it but a defender had to quickly clear it off the line.

Unfortunately in the 15th minute, Holmes scored an equaliser for Hyde. Blyth want to get a block in at the near post then Baker was able to make a good save for the second shot but the third shot was scored by Holmes.

Blyth went looking to take the lead again in the 32nd minute when Joel Holvey dribbled his way into the box and tried to pull the ball back for someone in the middle but Hiddleston was able to collect it.

Ben Kershaw caused problems for Spartans towards the end of the first half. In the 42nd minute, Kershaw charged into the box and was able to get a shot away but it went wide of the far post.

Kershaw then create a chance in the 45th minute when he sent a ball through for Holmes inside the box. The resulting shot from Holmes went just wide of the far post.

Half time: Hyde United 1-1 Blyth Spartans

The second half didn't get off to a good start for Spartans as the hosts won a penalty in the 49th minute when Baker brought down Redshaw and received a yellow card. Redshaw then stepped up to take the penalty and converted it to give Hyde the lead.

The hosts continued their pressure and in the 53rd minute, Jordan Scanlon had a shot that forced Baker into a save. Holvey was then on hand to clear it away from danger.

Spartans equalised in the 54th minute when, after a great passage of play between himself and Zack Simpson, Briggs scored a great strike from range.

In the 58th minute, Briggs had a chance to get himself a hat-trick when Spartans won a free-kick within shooting range. Briggs went for goal but his effort hit the wall.

Scanlon caused some worry for Blyth when in the 62nd minute, he charged towards the back post to get on the end of a ball into the box but luckily his effort hitt the side netting.

Briggs thought he'd have another audacious effort in the 65th minute when Cyril Giraud played the ball to him to have a shot from range that went wide of the far post.

Hyde's captain Redshaw started to get more into the game in the second half and in the 73rd minute, he had a strike from just outside the box that was impressively saved by the legs of Baker.

3 minutes later, Redshaw went for an overhead kick from close range but it lacked power and was comfortably saved by Baker.

In the 78th minute, Giraud whipped in a corner that Ben Milburn ran towards the near post to get on the end of but his flicked header towards the far post went wide.

Despite a spirited Spartans performance, Hyde managed to grab a goal to take the lead when second half substitute Showman lived up to his name by scoring a cheeky back heel from close range.

Hyde nearly doubled their lead in the 89th minute when a corner was sent low into the box and then was back-heeled to Will Hall who smashed his effort over the bar.

Spartans got a good chance in the 3rd minute of added time when Briggs sent a cross into the box. JJ Hooper got his head on the end of it but his effort went well over.

Full time: Hyde United 3-2 Blyth Spartans

Hyde United - Hiddleston, Ditchfield, Amado, Spooner, Hall, Baker, Scanlon (Sinfield, 84), Fearnley (Da Costa, 73), Holmes (Showman, 78), Redshaw (c)(Quadri, 88), Kershaw

Subs not used - Bairstow

Goals - Holmes (15), Redshaw (50 Pen), Showman (83)

Yellow cards - Amado (43)

Blyth Spartans - Baker, Almond, Holvey (McClafferty, 80), Camarda, Milburn, Simpson (Aitken, 64), Giraud, Richardson, Prudhoe (Hooper, 59), Briggs, Deverdics (c)

Subs not used - Kinniburgh, Oliver

Goals - Briggs (5, 54)

Yellow cards - Briggs (20), Camarda (45+1), Baker (49), Richardson (57), Holvey (63)

Referee - Daniel Hitchell