23rd and 30th March 2019 - a week to forget!

Mitre Brooks Mileson Memorial League Cup Semi final: Newcastle Benfield (a) 

I was so full of anticipation. Three wins and a draw under New Boy Nathan, we were the form team...for once. After a challenging day with years 5 and 6, it was finally time for the Mitre Brooks Mileson Memorial League Cup Semi final! What a name: runs off the tongue! 

Postman Neil picked me up at 7pm and it was soon obvious that me and Neil weren't the only ones excited by the prospect of this long-winded competition. Every piece of parking in Benfield school, sports centre and football club had been taken so we had to park just off the Benfield Road. 

We also had to wait for the mother who, having brought about five kids with her, hadn't realised she would have to pay for them all. The match was already underway when we entered and there did indeed seem to be a great crowd. Finding a spot behind the goal Whitley were attacking, we found Bob and Moira, who had vowed not to attend another game...once again. The excitement of the Long-winded-Cup and the current form had brought them all out tonight!

Without the Long-Winded-Cup-Tied Dan Lister, New-Boy-Nathan had signed Spendymoor's Christopher Elliott. A big gamble bringing in a newbie keeper for such a big game, we could only hope that it paid off. 

Unfortunately, Dennis Knight had decided to make things hard for the debutant with a thunderbolt goal after ten minutes.

However, before the Dementors could suck all the happiness from the Bay fans, Olly Martin pounced to level things.

We were excited! Even Bob was smiling!

Super-Olly almost gave the Bay the lead with a cracking bit of skill but his lobbed effort just dropped wide of the far post. 

With few chances, we were momentarily distracted by Benfield's new wood-panelled gym. From this facility, the good citizens of Walkergate are able to pump iron and watch the blue-striped Benfield batter their opposition. As it was, the Bay were creating the better chances. Unfortunately, the pesky Knight popped up with another goal and at half time, the Bay were unfortunate to be behind. 

The half time walk to the far end revealed another pitch-side gym, this time an open-air affair. Also there was, what appeared to be a four-person gallows next to a basketball hoop... nowt as queer as East End Folk!

Ex-trawler-fishing nets behind the goal,
complete with tiny ocean-formed barnacles.

The second half was virtually a write-off. Whitley were second to every ball and Benfield laid into the visiting defence. In the 77th minute, it was that pesky Knight who completed his hat-trick and it all looked over.

The crowd was thinning out as the final whistle drew nearer. But Super Andrei was on hand to help again in the 88th minute. It was Craig McFarlane who managed to pick up a loose clearance and his pass was seized upon by Andrei. Suddenly we had hope!

A large amount of hysteria had set in amongst the Bay fans behind the home goal and when Super Andrei let fly in the final seconds of the game, we thought all our Christmases had come at once. But no, our celebrations were cut short by Benfield's mountainous number five (compared to Kieran Brannen anyway) telling us it had gone wide. 

Surely, there would be a reaction the following Saturday against Guisborough! 

Guisborough Town (h)

New-Boy-Nathan would have the lads sorted. Poor Guisborough would be annihalated in a wave of Blue-striped attacks and goals! Wednesday would be forgotten about and excited hopes for next season raised again! The Spring sun that had warmed us up the day before would shine over a glorious Bay performance!

Courtesy of Whitley Bay Twitter

Alas no. It was cold. The sun had disappeared. The Boy Mark and I had enjoyable parkrun in a sunny Prudhoe but by the time the match arrived, le soleil had had enough, as had most of the Bay's support. 

Plenty of room to read the programme on a freezing Spring afternoon!

So it seemed had the Whitley defence. With 16 minutes gone, the lads were 2-0 down, despite creating and missing a number of chances. The result was not a fair reflection of the match but then that's football. "It's a funny old game!" one moustrachioed 80s commentator said often enough. 

Then it started raining! The Boy Mark, who hadn't brought a waterproof coat, disappeared with Kinnon, Gibbo, Claire and the rest under the cover of the new stand. Smithy and I bravely remained, to watch over the goalcam. 

At least we were rewarded with some sublime trickery from the Slippery Salmon, rounding the keeper to slot home from six yards. 

The equaliser almost arrived just before half time but first Salmon then Andrei failed to come up with the goods.

The lads had been unlucky but then you make your own luck in this game, somebody once said.

By the time half time arrived, I had been abandoned by even the hardy Smithy. Football was certainly not fun for me. 

Maybe a cream egg and a cup of tea would revive my hopes! No, it didn't. 

There were chances at the start of the second half but I wasn't feeling invigorated as they kept getting missed. Also the wind decided to join the rain in pounding us. Even David Hall's dad had to resort to his tent-like poncho that covered both himself and his electric chair!

Then Andrei was taken off along with Olly and Branners. What on Earth was NBN (New Boy Nathan) thinking of?

Guisborough scored to make it 3-1 to the visitors and that looked to be that! 

But no! Up stepped Jonjon Wright to launch an unstoppable shot home from the edge of the box. 

 With captain Luke Taylor putting in some great tackles There was unexpected hope of a happy ending. Would we finally manage a great escape?

No. 

Guisborough scored ten minutes later to make it 4-2.

 I went home, had pizza, watched Harry Potter and forgot about football.