Dec 2011 / Jan / Feb 2012

There was still some work to do but Stobbs calmly slotted his shot past home keeper Greenan to give Hexham the lead which they never relinquished. The pace of Harton was always a threat but Anderson in the Hexham goal looked comfortable all afternoon, the only major alarm was of his own doing but the heavy pitch played a big part in the incident. Anderson did not get a good contact from a back pass and it only managed to reach the edge of the area to a startled striker but the Hexham keeper redeemed himself magnificently with a superb diving one handed save to his left hand side. The pitch was very heavy and players from both sides struggled to keep their balance and both penalty areas were very boggy, this no doubt played a part in the initial mishit clearance. Apart from that one scare Anderson commanded his area not giving the home forwards any hope of breaking down the Hexham back line. At the interval Hexham were comfortable even though it was a slender advantage so in the second period they hoped to take advantage of a strong wind which was now in their favour. The troublesome low winter sun which had affected them earlier on was now setting behind the housing estate so Harton fialed to use that to their advantage. Early on Stobbs again had a great chance punished the home side but his shot grazed the far post with Greenan rooted to the spot. Thomas North had the left fullback dizzy as time after time he left him trailing in his wake; this was a tremendous outlet for Hexham as Harton stepped up their efforts to get back into the match. Centre forward Liam Heenan lead the line exceptionally well always a threat and when the pressure was being cranked up he showed great ability to calm things down and provide another outlet. With time ebbing away tempers got frayed and Harton striker Dean Black took exception to a challenge from Hexham captain Gavin Cox by aiming a headbut at him, after Gavin’s retaliation match official showed both players a red card for violent conduct. This means an automatic three match ban for both players which will be a blow for Gavin as he is in tremendous form.

. It was not just Cox who played well today the whole team played their part, the midfield of North, Gibson, Parkinson and Tiffin covered every blade of grass and had nothing left to give at the end. In the closing fifteen minutes a change of tactics was just enough to snuff any threat out and even though Harton did have more of the ball in the second half it was never in any dangerous areas, Hexham made sure of that. This win consolidates Hexham in fourth place and in the run in to the promotion stakes this could turn out a vital three points against one of their promotion rivals made all the better by winning on their home patch.

Alnwick Town Res 2-6 Hexham (21 Jan 2012)

The longest road trip of the season for the Tyne Valley side on Saturday did not daunt them as they produced one of the best performances of the season and came home with three well deserved points. Alnwick are a good side and they play the ball about well but Hexham took the bull by the horns and after only fourteen minutes they were two goals in front. Scott Robson started the goal spree when he converted a Neil Tiffin inch perfect pass and when Paul McLean caught a Thomas North corner on the half volley to drill it past bemused home keeper Michael Armstrong Hexham were flying. Neil McFall pulled one back for Alnwick from a free kick on the twenty minute mark to give Hexham a few nervous moments but the two goal advantage was restored when Ali Stobbs got the first of his goal of the day when Armstrong could only parry a Scott Robson shot, Ali was razor sharp to make sure the ball crossed the line. Alnwick tried manfully to get back into the game but this was to be Hexham’s half and as the pressure increased on the home goal a flailing arm was stuck with the ball from a Mark Gibson cross, referee Darren Thomas had an easy decision to make and point to the spot. Paul McLean took on the responsibility and he took a perfect penalty giving Armstrong no chance and Hexham had a 4-1 advantage at the interval.
This was a game of two haves and Alnwick came out much the better putting Hexham under increased pressure and got an early reward when Nat Price gave the home side a glimmer of hope with a well taken goal. Hexham never really got going in the second half but they had enough in their locker to see out the job. Ali Stobbs completed his hat trick with two very similar goals, on both occasions he drew the keeper then went round him to score. Orin Parkinson and Mark Gibson both were the providers on each occasion but the credit must go to Ali as there was still a lot of work to do each time. Not surprisingly Ali won the MotM award as Alnwick struggled to cope with his pace, skill and strength all afternoon. The home side did have more chances in the second half but the visiting team defence held firm and behind the back four keeper Dave Anderson was as solid as ever producing a couple of fine saves. Red House Farm have a big lead at the top of the table but between the next three team, Harton & Westoe, Wallsend BC and Hexham only have the smallest of one point difference separating them. Hexham have games in hand on their rivals but with home and away games to come against Wallsend which will go a long way to deciding their fate. Northbank Carlisle are also on the tails of the leading pack and with the Cumbrian’s also appearing very soon on the fixture list every game from now on in will be a cup final

Willington Quay Saints 1-2 Hexham (18 Feb 2012)

Hexham kept up their recent good run of form with a hard fought bruising encounter on the road at Willington Quay. This was not the best of performances but a rock solid defence and a goal in each half was enough to take the points. The saints have had a excellent run in the Northumberland FA Minor Cup and are due to take on Newcastle Chemfica in the semi final soon but there league form has suffered recently and have slipped down the table. Hexham were slow to start and it was Thomas North who got the show on the road creating chances for the visitors down the left flank for both Ali Stobbs and Jamie Peel, but on both occasions saint’s keeper Carl Henderson pulled off good saves. Centre half Graeme Turner was next to try and break the deadlock but his header was cleared off the line with Henderson beaten. It was a scrappy game and the pitch did not help matters with the players not sure where the bounce would take it when played to feet and the traditional coast road gale playing its normal tricks the game was not one for the purists. But these are the games Hexham have to win if they are going to progress and the breakthrough came after thirty minutes, Thomas North played the ball to Jamie Peel and once Jamie had returned the favour North was in an ideal position to place the ball past the keeper for a very well taken goal. Hexham went in at the interval one goal to the good and deserved their advantage but in the second half they had to play against the fierce wind.
Lack of games recently has meant that some of the players were missing some match sharpness so a change in personnel and shape was implemented which did have a positive effect. Any danger was being snuffed out Hexham keeper Carl Robinson who was largely unemployed but still had to on his toes as a one goal lead is never enough. That lead was doubled after fifty five minutes when a piercing through ball from Orin Parkinson gave Scott Robson the chance to lose his marker and take the ball around the goal keeper. A lunge from the keeper took Robson to the floor and a penalty was the only option available. The Hexham bench was amazed to see that no card was shown to Henderson when everyone expected to see the red card come from the officials’ pocket. That was quickly forgotten as Mark Gibson coolly dispatched the spot kick into the net and Hexham could breathe a little easier. The game entered a physical stage in the last quarter and the pressure was turned up even more when the solid defensive display of the day was let down for the one and only time in the afternoon. A misunderstanding allowed Gareth Pugh the opportunity to score his seventh goal of the season. Despite this setback Hexham regained composure to see out the remaining twenty minutes without too many alarms. This was a vital win as all the other teams around them in the table did not play so it gave Hexham the chance to catch up on a game in hand and with the bonus of three points it lifted them to second place in the table.

Hexham 4-3 Whickham LJ (25th Feb 2012)

Hexham took all the points in this seven goal thriller but it was only in the last couple of minutes before the decisive goal was scored. Three times Hexham took the lead and three times Whickham pegged them back before Tom Phillips struck in the eighty eighth minute. The game was on a diet of goals in the first half before the feast enjoyed in the second period but Thomas North followed up an Ali Stobbs effort which had been saved by Whickham keeper Kenneth Laws. After the ball rebounded to North he picked his spot in the goal as the visiting stopper tried to regain his ground back into the net. The first half was marred by a terrible injury to Hexham’s leading scorer Liam Heenan, they say goal keepers are crazy but goal hungry strikers are not far behind them. Liam had just the sniff of a goal as he put his head where others would not have dared and he was caught full in the face by the boot of Laws as he tried to clear the ball. A long delay in the game ensued as Liam received treatment in the goalmouth before then taken to hospital. First examination suspected a fractured eye socket but after three hours in casualty he was released with concussion and a very black eye.
The injury to Heenan seemed to unsettle the home side and early in the second half Whickham took advantage when Joe Bell was at the back post to convert a tidy move after the ball shot across the Hexham goal. That shook the home side and they regained the lead when Mark Gibson converted his second penalty in consecutive weeks. The award came about after Jamie Peel put Scott Robson through and as he was about to pull the trigger he was felled from behind. But in this see saw match it was not long before parity was restored once again, a needless free kick conceded just outside the box by the touchline. The direct free kick from Chris Gill seemed to be heading for the far corner and all Hexham keeper Carl Robinson could do was to help it on its way as it was just a hair breadth out of his reach. This season Hexham are made of sterner stuff and were not going to sacrifice home advantage, back they came with MotM Mark Gibson driving the team on. The midfield was operating well and this was giving them space to get down the flanks. From such an opening Stephen Brown produced a useful cross into the penalty area, as the ball dropped towards Robson it was just at an awkward height but he managed to get the ball under some sort of control. With the ball bouncing to shoulder height and with his with his back to goal he swivelled and struck it sweetly into the corner of the net. In after match discussions team mates compared the strike similar to Demba Ba’s goal against Manchester United which prompted some lively responses from other members of the squad. The goal was good enough to win any game but Whickham were having none of that and John Dewhirst fired them level for a third time. The ball was not cleared effectively and it was winging its way past Robinson from the boot of Dewhirst in no time at all. Scoring three goals away from home you would think would be enough to earn any team at least a share of the points but there was still enough time on the clock for one final attempt. Midfield man Neil Tiffin raised enough energy to float a deep cross to the far post where Scott Robson managed to get on the end of the cross and head the ball back across the danger area. This totally wrong footed the entire defence and Tom Phillips came from nowhere to crash the ball home to inflict a terminal blow to any hopes of a share of the points that Whickham had. This was a good win as leaders Red House Farm and forth place Harton both dropped points and only their nearest rivals Wallsend BC took maximum points. This really sets up Saturdays match at the Wentworth when Wallsend are the visitors but with skipper Gavin Cox sitting out for the last game of his suspension and injuries to Heenan and Brown causing concern it will be a tough task.