Third time lucky as Spartans net four in first win

IT was third time lucky for Blyth Spartans as they picked up their first win of the National League North season with an impressive 4–2 win over Tamworth.

Former Gateshead striker Reece Styche gave the visitors the lead just before the quarter of an hour mark.

His sublime turn allowed him to break in on goal and he made no mistake sliding the ball past Pete Jameson.

Within minutes Spartans were on level terms with their first goal of the season.

The impressive Dan Maguire set up right back Ryan Hutchinson and he made no mistake with a cool finish from eight yards.

The Spartans were visibly lifted by that goal and Lewis Horner but the midfielder could only stroke a low shot wide of the near post.

However, the Croft Park faithful wouldn’t have to wait long to see their side take the lead.

Maguire found a yard of space on the edge of area and that proved costly for Tamworth, as the diminutive striker lashed the ball into the top left hand corner of the net.

After a pulsating opening half an hour, the game finally settled and Spartans took a deserved lead into the half time break.

That lead was extended just before the hour mark as Dan Maguire’s cross was headed clear by Luke Jones.

That only fell to Jarrett Rivers on the edge of the area and he crashed the ball home from the edge of the area.

The visitors got straight back into the game as Nathan Buddle brought down Styche in the area, and the once-capped Gibraltar international stepped up to smash the penalty into the top corner.

Spartans had a spot kick of their own on sixty five minutes as livewire Maguire was brought down in the area.

Dale Hopson stepped up to take the kick and sent Rowley the wrong way to score his first competitive goal in a Spartans shirt.

Spartans almost rubbed salt into the wounds for Tamworth, as Rivers and Maguire went close in the final five minutes. But in the end, it meant little. As referee McNamara blew the full-time whistle, he confirmed that Spartans had their first home win at step two of the non-league pyramid since a 2-1 win over Solihull Moors in early April 2012.

Blyth Spartans:

Jameson, Hutchinson, Liddle, McTiernan (Reid), Buddle, Watson, Rivers, Horner, Maguire, Hopson (Langstaff ), Dale (Wrightson) Subs: Mullen, McDonald

Rowley, Burns (Davies), Morley (Fox), Deeney, Jones, Lane, Upton, Varma, Styche, Taylor (Reid), Knights Subs: Curley, Ezewele

Tamworth: