Victors refuse to Duck challenge and end Spartans’ hopes of glory
THE boot was on the other foot as famed FA Cup giantkillers Blyth Spartans were on the end of a Cup shock for the second consecutive year.
Northern League outfit Morpeth Town triumphed at Croft Park in 2016, Yorkshire outfit Shaw Lane repeating the feat on Saturday.
The Ducks scored the winner deep into injury time to claim a 2-1 victory as an in-form Blyth fell at the first hurdle again.
Spartans’ manager Alun Armstrong was hoping prizemoney accrued from FA Cup wins would finance new signings with the squad thin.
He said: “I wilbe knocking on the chairman’s door as we need to strengthen.
“Getting knocked out of the Cup is undoubtedly a blow, especially as we should have won the game comfortably, despite Shaw Lane’s constant time-wasting.
“We conceded bad goals early and late in the game, but created enough chances to have got the job done. We did not get going in the opening half an hour but the second half was one-way traffic - we just could not find a winner and were punished at the death.”
Paul Clayton’s sixth-minute header gave Shaw Lane something to hold on to, substitute Adam Wrightson equalising from Dale Hopson’s cross.
Lewis Horner spurned a chance to win it late on, the Ducks then nicking it deep in stoppage time through Damien Reeves’ header.