Fans can help lift Spartans to victory

Apr 18 2009 The Journal

MANAGER Harry Dunn is urging fans to turn out in force and hopefully cheer Blyth Spartans to Blue Square North safety victory over Gainsborough Trinity at Croft Park this afternoon.

Three points will guarantee Blyth stay in the sixth tier of English football’s pyramid and Dunn does not underestimate the contribution which the supporters can make.

He said: “We had well over 600 in for our last game and they were fantastic. There is clearly a big fan base and I would like to think we have another huge gate this afternoon for what is a critical match.

“If we beat against Trinity we’ll be safe and a lot more relaxed for our last two games at home to Southport and at Burscough next week.”

It has been a topsy-turvy season for Spartans. They enjoyed a memorable run in the FA Cup losing by an only goal to Blackburn Rovers in the third round but their league form has been disappointing.

They are fourth from bottom and with Hucknall Town already relegated, can be caught by Hyde United and Burscough. But three points today will vanish all fears of the drop.

“We’ll be going all out to win. Our destiny is in our own hands and we’ve got to build on the six points we took over the holiday weekend.

Confidence is high and another good turn out by our fans will be an added bonus” said Dunn who misses the suspended Gary Brown. Alex Gildea is his likely replacement and Dunn’s only injury worry surrounds John Brackstone (thigh strain).

At the top end of the table it’s a must-win game for Gateshead when they line-up against relegation-threatened Farsley Celtic at the International Stadium this afternoon.

Ian Bogie’s side need three points in a last-gasp bid to wrestle the championship from Tamworth.

“Tamworth are in the driving seat since they are two points ahead of us with an extra game to play,” said Bogie.

“All we can do is try to take maximum points from our last two games with Farsley Celtic and Hucknall Town and hope that Tamworth have an end-of-season blip. They’ve still got three fixtures to fulfil and for us to come out on top would mean them dropping five points out of nine and for us to win our last two games.”

Gateshead are guaranteed a place in the play-offs, however, and Bogie believes that, whatever the outcome in the title race, his side has enjoyed a fantastic season.

“The lads have been great to get us where we are. We only gained promotion last season via the play-offs but we have made considerable progress.

“If you had said last August that we would have been in the play-offs I would have taken your hand off. Yes, I want to win the championship – we all do – but lets not underestimate what’s being achieved,” enthused the former Newcastle midfielder, who has been in charge at the International Stadium for just a little over two years.

Bogie will have a full-strength squad standing by this afternoon and a bonus is the inclusion of central midfielder Tony Dinning.

He managed only 20 minutes on his debut against Stafford Rangers but the former Chester City player now is fully fit and raring to play his part in Gateshead’s title bid.

MALCOLM PRATT