Blyth Spartans 1 Hinckley 3

Mar 25 2008 The Journal

BLYTH Spartans are back in a relegation dogfight after losing to Hinckley in a clash in front of 480 spectators at Croft Park.

Harry Dunn’s side stay fifth from the bottom and, following Saturday’s positive performance at Burscough, this result was disappointing and leaves them with an end-of-season challenge to avoid the drop.

Blyth made a good start but despite their supremacy, failed to turn chances into goals until the 36th minute. Before then, Gareth Williams and Martin Houalhan had gone close and it wasn’t until Robbie Dale curled in a left-foot effort that Spartans finally found the net.

But deep in first-half injury time the home side were rocked as Hinckley, who started the day third from bottom, equalised.

Owen Storey floated in a corner from the right and Adam Webster fired past Adam Bartlett. Midway during the second period Michael Hedley headed into his own goal following a free-kick by Callum Lloyd as Blyth fell behind.

The home side huffed and puffed looking for an equaliser but failed to produce a cutting edge. And in the last minute their chances of rescuing anything from the game evaporated completely with Webster again on target.

BLYTH SPARTANS: Bartlett, Christiensen, Leeson, Brown, Williams, Webster (Johnson), Hedley, Birks, Dale, Houlahan, Gildea (Snowdon).

HINCKLEY UNITED: Jones, Roma, Bonner, Lavery, Byron, Birch, Story, Jackson, Webster, Kelly (Murphy), Lloyd.

Attendance: 480 Referee: Mr Clayton