Town bounce back in style to stay in touch with the leaders

NORTHALLERTON TOWN 5 SEAHAM RED STAR 2

TOWN bounced back from an unlucky midweek defeat with what turned out to be a comfortable victory over Seaham Red Star at the RGPS on Saturday.

In a now familiar tale, Town started slowly and had to come from a goal behind before clicking into gear with three goals in fifteen minutes at the start of the second half to seal an important three points.

“I’m just happy to get back to winning ways,” said manager Mark Fanning at the end.

“We struggled for the first twenty minutes, but once we got going we did enough to win the game. We played better on Wednesday and lost, but that's football.”

Fanning made one change to the starting line up from that midweek defeat by Esh Winning, bringing in Anthony Roberts in place of Stuart Dunn at left back.

Seaham arrived in North Yorkshire in good form, having won their previous two away games, and they settled much quicker. They were rewarded for that fast start inside four minutes when Alan Pegram fired past James Briggs after a neat ball from Daniel Gray, and Town were forced to come from behind again.

But the goal sparked Fanning’s side into life and they equalised seven minutes later. Adam Emson crossed from the left and Carl Chillingsworth arrived to head low into the net from 8 yards.

The game really opened up after that and there were chances at both ends, but it was Town who grabbed the lead just prior to the half-hour. Again it was Chillingsworth who found the target with a header from Roberts' cross – his 7^th goal of the season.

The next goal was always going to be important and it was Town who got it just two minutes into the second half. Chillingsworth turned provider this time with a lovely ball to send Stephen Butterworth clear of the Seaham defence, and he found the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area - his fifth goal in the last five matches.

And the game was as good as over four minutes later. Gav Parkin, who was having a fine game in the centre of midfield, found Adam Emson with a defence-splitting pass, and the Town leading scorer controlled the ball before rifling past Seaham's debut-making goalkeeper Aiden Grant to make it 4-1 – the 13^th strike of an incredible campaign for the former Stokesley man.

But Town were not quiet finished and they went nap just past the hour-mark. Butterworth squared the ball for Parkin to fire low to Grant's right for the goal his overall performance deserved, his first of the season.

Parkin then thought he had doubled his total ten minutes later when he ghosted into the box to meet substitute Dunn's free kick and lashed the ball home, but his celebration was cut short by referee  Paul Mosely for an infringement – the 4^th Town goal to be disallowed in three days.

Seaham were a beaten side now but to their credit they finished the game strongly, forcing Briggs into three saves in the closing stages, the best of which saw him get down low to his right to push a shot from Michael Pattison around the post.

The visitors, however, were rewarded four minutes from time when Pattison and Paul Kane combined to set up Pegram for his second goal of the day to make the final score 5-2.

Town continue their promotion challenge when Brandon United visit the RGPS on Wednesday evening. Kick off is at 7.30pm and admission is £5 for adults and £2.50 concessions. Oh and don't forget to buy a programme, just £1 for 40 pages!

NORTHALLERTON TOWN - Briggs, Shoulder, Roberts, Hickman, Winter, Parkin, Laing, Butterworth, Emson, Chillingsworth, Gredziak. Subs - Craggs, Dunn, Smurthwaite, Colman, Bowman.

SEAHAM RED STAR - Grant, Stubbs, Gray, Pegram, Bryson, Phillips, Watson, McKeown, Gordon, North, Malley. Subs - Pattison, Olusuga, Kane, Thorp, Goodman.

REFEREE: P. Mosely

ATTENDANCE: 102