Newcastle beat Chester to reach third round

Newcastle Town manager Greg Clowes expressed his delight after his side beat Chester 2-0 at the Lyme Valley Stadium.

The win leaves Town with a third-round clash against Chasetown on January 11.

Alan Nagington goal Pic: Joe Finnerty

Goals either side of half-time from Alan Nagington and Wayne Teague secured the win and Clowes said his side were superb.

He added: “When you are playing against these top team you have to try and get a foothold in the game and stay on top when you get a chance and we managed to do that.

“We knew they would ask questions of us but we were equal to them and stayed really solid at the back so I am delighted.”

Chester caused Newcastle some early problems from Mark Connelly’s dangerous free-kicks from the left, but Paul Donnelly and Ryan Dicker remained solid throughout the match to stop Chester scoring for the first time this season.

The first-half came to life when Nagington weaved his way into the box following Jordan Johnson’s cross, and smashed the ball across Chester’s Christopher Sanna low into the bottom left of the goal.

Newcastle had Andrew White to thank for staying in the lead at the break as he headed the ball off the line following Chester full-back Stuart Jones’s rifling header.

Wayne Teague 2-0 Pic: Joe Finnerty

Greg Clowes’s men started the second-half full of spirit and when Johnson’s cross from the right found Teague unmarked it was a gift for the young forward who made no mistake in heading home.

Town’s keeper Daniel Read was called into action to parry away a fierce shot by Steven Beck and Read had his defenders to thank after Donnelly blocked another Chester forward’s effort which was destined for goal.

Newcastle countered twice with Neville Thompson creating two glorious chances to put the game to bed, but the striker who is returning from injury shot straight at the Chester stopper.

Newcastle’s next match is away to Shepshed Dynamo on Saturday (December 18).

Newcastle Town share points with league leaders

Newcastle Town drew 1-1 with league leaders Barwell on Saturday (December 11) but manager Greg Clowes has said he is disappointed not to win the game.

Barwell took the lead, but Jordan Johnson replied to level the score almost immediately.

Town then dominated the second-half exchanges but couldn’t score the winner.

Greg Clowes

Clowes said: “We couldn’t afford to lose to them.

“We dominated the game after the break and I thought we could have pinched the win, but it would have been a bit hard on Barwell.”

Clowes’s men can go to within two points of second-placed Carlton Town if they win their two games in hand, but Clowes stressed they are not looking too far ahead.

He added: “We will look after ourselves.

“We don’t want to look to far ahead, we must firstly concentrate on tomorrow’s cup match because we want to do well in them.”

Town face Chester in the League Challenge Cup Third Round on Tuesday night. Kick-off is 7.45pm

Newcastle Town take on table toppers

Newcastle Town face table-topping Barwell tomorrow (December 11) when the two sides clash in the Evo-Stik First Division South, writes Michael Marsh.

Town (3rd) travel to Barwell unbeaten in their 13 league games so far this season, but the Leicestershire club’s record shows they prove tough opposition.

The Kirkby Roaders have only lost one game this season and currently sit three points clear at the top, closely followed by Carlton Town.

Greg Clowes’s men concede a 12-point deficit to tomorrow’s opponents, but have three games in hand after the cold snap postponed their recent fixtures.

Their last game was on November 24 when they defeated Market Drayton 4-2 in the Presidents Cup.

Non League Round-up

Leek Town travel to Glapwell on Saturday (Nov 27) for the home side’s ‘pink game’, in aid of raising money for Breast Cancer Care.

The home side will be sporting pink kits and some Leek Town supporters can travel to the game on a pink bus, courtesy of Mansfield-based bus company Pronto.

Graham Parker, Glapwell FC’s marketing manager said: “We are hoping to raise over £1000 from the game, we have cut the gate price to £2 so people can come and watch some quality football and also give to charity.”

Leek Town boss Neil Cox remained focused on the match and said his side need to keep picking up points away from Harrison Park.

Neil Cox

He added: “He have been picking up most of our points away from home this season, so we need to keep this going.

“Our pitch isn’t great at the moment so it’s important we play well on better pitches and try to keep a clean sheet.”

The Blues sit perilously close to the Evo-Stik First Division South relegation places in 18^th and Cox could be without star signing Anthony Malbon, who is struggling with an ankle injury picked up in last week’s 2-2 draw with Romulus.

Elsewhere, Newcastle Town will be hoping to keep on the coat tails of Barwell and Carlton Town as they sit third.

Greg Clowes’s players answered his call to string a winning run together as they beat Loughborough Dynamo’s 3-1 last week and Market Drayton in the Presidents Cup 4-2 midweek.

Newcastle travel to Belper Town tomorrow (Nov 27), who lost 4-2 to Kidsgrove Athletic last week and if they have ambitions to finish in the top two then they can not afford to drop points against the fifth-placed side.

Dave Walker

Kidsgrove fans have a home fixture this weekend against Shepshed Dynamo. The Grove have suffered a blip in recent weeks and now sit in sixth place.

But they will be confident of overhauling a Shepshed side that have recorded only a single victory this season and sit rock bottom of the Evo-Stik First Division South.

Experienced campaigner Dave Walker will be looking to add to his tally of 20 goals this season and Ricky Bridge could start after his brace in the side’s 4-2 win over Belper.

Kick-off for all the matches in 3.00pm

Newcastle boss calls for winning streak

Newcastle Town boss Greg Clowes has urged his players to keep the winning run going following their 3-1 win over Loughborough Dynamo’s on Saturday (Nov 20).

A goal in each half from Dan Skelton and one from Alan Nagington sealed a comfortable win for Town, and sees them leap to third spot in the league.

But Clowes stressed that a winning run must continue if promotion is the target.

Greg Clowes

He added: “I told the players we have to keep on the coat tails of the two teams above us.

“In the last few weeks we have drawn too many games and the top two haven’t dropped many points.

“It’s not going to be easy to just win every game but what we need to do is put a bit of a run together.”

Anthony Malbon, who had a month-long loan at the club has joined Leek Town for the rest of the season after being released by Port Vale.

But Clowes said he is not disappointed with Malbon’s move.

He added: “I spoke to the lad and I wish him all the best at Leek and he knows that our door is always open if  things do not work out for him there.”

Newcastle face Market Drayton on Wednesday (Nov 24) night and Belper Town on Saturday (Nov 27).

Town boss slams players after Staffs Cup defeat

Newcastle Town boss Greg Clowes slammed the performance of his players after crashing out of the Staffordshire Senior Cup to the hands of local rivals Kidsgrove Athletic, writes Matt Dodd.

The holders of the cup could only make it to the quarter-final stage this time around, and Clowes was bitterly disappointed with his side’s performance on Tuesday (Nov 16) night, admitting that “anyone could have beaten us.”

He added: “We didn’t turn up. Considering we were defending our cup which we won last year, the players didn’t show any desire to retain it. I’ve given them a few home truths.

“I don’t think it was that Kidsgrove played so well, it was the fact that we were so poor – and that’s fair play to Kidsgrove for making us look so poor.”

Town never really took control of the game and a goal on the hour from Kidsgrove’s top-scorer Dave Walker was enough to secure a deserved win for the Grove.

Greg Clowes

Clowes said: “In the end losing 1-0 flattered us tonight. On another night if they had taken their chances it could have been an embarrassing defeat.

“We’ve been knocked out of the competition without even turning up. That’s the most frustrating part of it, the fact that we worked so hard to win last year and anyone could have beaten us tonight on that performance.

“We wanted to stay in this trophy tonight. I did, unfortunately the players didn’t.”

Castle will now shift their focus back to the league, and despite being in fifth place with games in hand on the teams around them, Clowes was pessimistic about his side’s chances this season given the performance against Kidsgrove.

Clowes admitted that promotion could be out of contention based on his side’s performance.

He said: “On that performance we won’t win anything.

“It’s been a bit like Jekyll and Hyde at the moment. The same squad overturned a very good side on Saturday away from home, but the same group of players have turned in a performance like that tonight which is unacceptable.”

Loughborough Dynamo are the visitors to the Lyme Valley Stadium on Saturday, and Castle will be looking to erase the memory of Tuesday night with a convincing performance.

Clowes said: “There are things to work on – big game on Saturday. As far as I’m concerned I’ve forgot about this result already and we look forward to Saturday.”

To see comments from Kidsgrove’s manager Peter Ward click here.

Walker’s goal gives Kidsgrove Athletic bragging rights

Kidsgrove Athletic proved too much for local rivals Newcastle Town as they secured their place in the semi-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup with an impressive 1-0 win at the Lyme Valley Stadium, writes Mike Carter

The Grove had plenty of chances throughout the game and could have been three up by half-time thanks to some poor Castle defending.

Top-scorer Dave Walker was the hero though as his second-half goal was enough to put Kidsgrove into the last four.

The match got off to a fast start with the visitors almost finding the net in the opening minute, but Liam Shotton’s effort was blazed narrowly wide.

Pre- match build-up

Shotton then had another great opportunity as winger Ricky Bridge delivered a great ball from the left but the frontman sliced his shot wide.

Newcastle had a penalty appeal turned down in the 18th minute after Alan Nagington took on two players only to be pushed to the floor but the referee waved play on.

Kidsgrove kept pushing for the opening goal though and on 22 minutes Walker’s shot went narrowly over with an overhead kick after Jordan Johnson’s poor clearance.

Peter Ward’s side were not taking their chances and Bridge should have scored when he was through on goal but Castle keeper Danny Read saved well.

Town still were looking dangerous on the break and a wonderful cross from the left by Johnson found Nagington who volleyed just wide from 18 yards.

The biggest chance of the half fell to Shotton again after he was found unmarked in the box after a lovely ball from Tim Sanders. Shotton could only head wide from ten yards.

The home side started much better after half-time and almost scored in the 48th minute.

Chris Burdry’s through ball was met by Nagington who did well to shrug off his defender but could only force a good save out of Steve Inithar.

Grove continued to create chances and Bridge’s spectacular half-volley was well parried by Reade.

Dave Walker

On 60 minutes, the deadlock was finally broken. A long ball from Karl Charlton was misjudged by the Castle defence and Walker did well to finish just inside the box with a half-volley into the bottom left corner. Kidsgrove should have doubled their advantage five minutes later after Walker’s shot was well saved only for the rebound to fall to Bridge but he sliced his shot.

Greg Clowes’s team never looked like turning the game with their only effort in the last period coming from Dan Skelton whose 30-yard shot blazed over.

Walker could have sealed the victory late-on after running onto Charlton’s flick but his shot was just wide.

Kidsgrove hung on for the win and will now look forward to repeating their success in the competition in 2009, while Newcastle will reflect on a night where they just didn’t play well.

Newcastle Town: Read, Espley (Willis 45), Skelton, Donnelley, Dicker, Douglas, Johnson, Connor (Price 86), Budrys (James 70), Nagington, Sidibe

Subs not used: Hughes, Dutton

Kidsgrove Athletic: Intihar, Smith, Dove, Ward, Harper, Charlton, Unwin, Sanders, Walker, Shotton, Bridge

Subs not used: Morris, Turner, Schwarz

Referee: Mr M D’Aguilar (Cannock)

North Staffs derby for quarter-final clash

Two of our sides lock horns in the quarter-final of the Staffordshire Cup tonight (Nov 16).

Peter Ward

And both managers have stressed they would like a bumper crowd to witness the derby match with a semi-final clash up for grabs.

Kidsgrove’s Peter Ward said: “It is not often that local sides get supported that well, so it would be great to see as many people at the game as possible.

“Two good sides will be on show and there is not a lot between us so it is bound to be a close game and what more could people want to watch.”

Ward is unlikely to include new signing Matt Hadrell and is waiting on injury news from Adam Beasley (shin) and Danny Schwartz (hamstring).

Greg Clowes

Newcastle’s Greg Clowes has also said it will be nice for the two teams to meet each other.

He added: “We are the holders so it is a game we will be taking very seriously.

“It has been a while since the sides last met and we wanted to face Kidsgrove in the final last year but unfortunately Port Vale knocked them out.”

Kick-off at the Lyme Valley Stadium is 7.45pm.

Nagington’s late-winner seals three points for Newcastle Town

Newcastle Town manager Greg Clowes has stressed that his side’s last-gasp winner in their 2-1 win at Sutton Coldfield Town was deserved.

Alan Nagington

Clowes’s men went 1-0 up on 37 minutes through Daniel Skelton, but looked to be heading to a draw as Sutton Coldfield’s Harry Harris stepped up to level the scores.

But frontman Alan Nagington stepped up to the mark in the 93^rd minute, turning Sutton Coldfield’s centre-back and firing low in the bottom corner.

Clowes said: “It was a deserved result. I felt we created a number of chances throughout the game and we deserved the winner at the end.”

The win keeps Town in fifth-spot and two wins with their games in hand can lift Clowes’s men to third.

Newcastle’s next match is on Tuesday (Nov 16) against Kidsgrove Athletic.

Kick-off is 7.45pm.

New striker set to move to Newcastle Town

Newcastle Town manager Greg Clowes is set to announce a new signing after striker Scott Malone heads back to Port Vale.

Town are hoping to extend the Vale loanee’s term at the club but Clowes has said he wants more competition for places in the squad.

Lyme Valley Stadium

He added: “If we lose Scott (Malone) then we only have two strikers, so we are bringing in a lad from a league above to add competition to the squad.

“He is as good as anything we’ve got at the moment and we are hoping he will come in and improve the side.”

Town will replay their League Cup match with Chester City on Nov 30 after City failed to get to last week’s game due to traffic congestion.