On a damp Friday night at Scotswood, promotion-chasing Newcastle Blue Star bounced back from a 5-0 home defeat against Easington Colliery six days earlier with a hard fought 2-0 win over a battling Prudhoe YC Seniors side who never gave up but once again lacked a cutting edge up front.
There was little to get excited about in the opening 20 minutes with no shots on target from either side as weather conditions worsened.
The visitors eventually brought Blue Star keeper Aaron Steavens into action on 23 minutes with a free-kick fire straight at him, while the hosts didn't have their first attempt on goal until the half-hour mark when a speculative long range effort was comfortably saved by Matty Cassap.
Blue Star struggled to break down a stubborn and well organised Prudhoe defence with clear-cut chances at a premium, and a couple of corners in quick succession came to nothing.
There was little chance of free-flowing football on a heavy playing surface with the game turning into a war of attrition as half-time approached.
Soon after the re-start, a header from a corner was easily caught by Cassap but the keeper couldn't prevent Blue Star centre forward Nelson Ogbewe breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute.
Following neat build-up play around the box, the ball was cut back by David Luke to Ogbewe who slotted it home from the edge of the six-yard box (1-0).
The match became more stretched as the second half unfolded with both sides starting to tire on an energy-sapping pitch but there still little attacking threat from the visitors.
18-year-old striker Dan Lanning made an immediate impact after coming off the bench when he doubled Blue Star's lead in the 81st minute. After finding space out wide on the right, he cut inside and his angled shot went in off the inside of the far post (2-0).
The hosts almost scored again on 85 minutes at the end of a slick move started by Ogbewe inside his own half. However, a quick-fire break and his lung-busting run into the box was not quite enough to finish off the phase of play with a goal that the move deserved.
The defeat extended the winless run for Mark McMeekin's side in Ebac Northern League Division Two to nine games and they will be hoping to turn things around on Saturday at home to Yarm & Eaglescliffe.
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