BLYTH SPARTANS 2 ASHTON UNITED 0
His low effort was tipped onto the post by the right hand of Pilling, the ball cannoning away from the six-yard box with a number of Spartans waiting.
Jordan Watson then squandered two chances in first-half injury time, the first a rasping effort from inside the six-yard box, saved at point blank range by Pilling, the second a misplaced stab home from a Dale cross.
Spartans came out the gates strongly in the second half, and took the lead six minutes in. Dale found space on the left edge of the penalty area and fizzed a cross through the six-yard box, turned in by Reid.
Blyth continued to control the game for the majority of the second period, but Ashton has spells of pressure – including in the final 10 minutes.
The pressure was relieved with three minutes remaining when Jarrett Rivers won the ball near his own corner flag.
He broke past two Ashton players before unleashing a scathing counter-attack, one which led the Dale’s composed finish to round off proceedings.
There was still time for Sheridan to receive a second yellow card for an innocuous foul, and for Maguire to rattle the woodwork for a second time.
Alun Armstrong’s side have now won five in a row in all competitions, but have a daunting Christmas schedule ahead of them.
BLYTH SPARTANS: Jameson, Horner, Liddle, Green (Holmes 73), Cunningham, J Watson, Rivers, Oliver, Maguire, Reid, Dale. NOT USED: Fewster, Mullen, Buddle, Nicholson ASHTON UNITED: Pilling, Stead (Chalmers 17), Regan, Jones, Goulding, Kay, Jackson, Sheridan, Chadwick (Howarth 73), Tomsett, Anghel (Crowther 66) NOT USED: Hill, Roberts.