Blyth Spartans are set to take on Warrington Town on Saturday afternoon at Croft Park in the National League North.
Jon Shaw suffered his first defeat as manager on Tuesday night as the Spartans lost 1-0 at home to Scarborough Athletic which ended a six-game unbeaten run for Blyth
TICKET INFORMATION
You can buy tickets with cash or card at the gate on the day or online here. All ticket information is as follows:
- Adults – £15 standing
- Concessions (over 65) – £9
- 11-16 Years & Students – £6
- Under-10s are admitted for free when accompanied by a paying adult.
To be seated in the Port of Blyth main stand, an extra £2 cost will be incurred for each category.
TEAM NEWS
Phil Castiaux spoke to Club Physio, Oscar Peverley, to receive the following update on the likes of Alex Mitchell, JJ O’Donnell, Joe Oliver and Harry Arnison.
WHAT WE’RE SAYING
Following his first defeat in charge, Jon Shaw said: “We’re obviously disappointed with the result, but not the performance.
“I think if you’re watching from the stand or anybody watching on TV would probably say we were the better team for the majority of the game, definitely had the majority of the possession.
“And in horrific conditions at the beginning of the game, they did start a bit brighter than us and once we got to grips with it again like the [South] Shields game, the lads showed good adaptability and attitudes to come through that.”
Jon Shaw’s post-match assessment of Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Warrington Town
OPPOSITION
Warrington Town won promotion to the National League North via the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division play-offs having finished second in the division on 77 points, eight points behind champions South Shields.
In their last match, they defeated Buxton 6-0 as Issac Buckley-Rickets scored a 20-minute second-half hat-trick. Matthew McDonald, Tom Hannigan and Matt Grivosti also scored for the Yellows.
The result has left Warrington in 13th, one place below Blyth who sit 12th. Both teams have an identical record of 11 wins, eight draws, 10 losses and a goal difference of five. The Spartans sit ahead of the Yellows due to goals scored as Blyth have netted on 45 occasions, while Warrington have scored 42 times.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
After a dominating performance from his side, Mark Beesley said: “I don’t think you go anywhere and expect to win 6-0.
“I thought the way we approached the game, our mindset was brilliant. We were against the wind and got our noses in front with a good bit of play and I think the mindset of being brave, being resolute, being together and not taking chances and then when we could play and counter-attack we did.”
Mark Beesley’s post-match assessment of Tuesday’s 6-0 win over Buxton
LAST TIME WE MET
The sides have met twice this season, in the National League North and the Isuzu FA Trophy second Round with both matches benign played at Cantilever Park.
In the league meeting in August, the Spartans won 2-0 as JJ O’Donnell and JJ Hooper both scored in the first half. Jack Bodenham was sent off for Blyth in the first half and Warrington Town were also shown a red card in the 78th minute for Bohan Dixon.
During the cup tie, the Spartans advanced to the third round, defeating the Yellows 3-1; Mikael Ndjoli, Cedric Main and Nicky Deverdics all scored for Blyth.
MEDIA COVERAGE
You can follow all of the action on Saturday afternoon via our social media platforms and BlythLive on Mixlr from 2:45 pm.