Newton Aycliffe bounced back from more cup heartache with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Northern League heavyweights Whitley Bay last weekend.
A brace from in-form Jamie Owens and a Danny Lambert strike extended the Royal Blues’ unbeaten run at Moore Lane Park in Division One to seven games.
It was the fifth win of the campaign and moved Allan Oliver’s men up to seventh in the table after 11 games – already 11 points clear of the bottom three that the club flirted with for so long of last season.
It was the perfect response to the midweek defeat to Team Northumbria in the Brooks Mileson League Cup.
A 94th-minute Peter Watling goal secured the University-ran team a 1-0 victory in a tight game that knocked the Newtonians out of the competition at the first hurdle.
It leaves Aycliffe with just the Durham Challenge Cup to distract them from their league form, which continued to return strong results against four-time FA Vase winners Whitley bay.
New signing Dan Wilson was handed a debut in attack following his arrival from Tow Low Town – he had scored against Aycliffe in the DCC this season and was signed to replace Danny Earl, who left for high-flying Marske United.
Wilson almost opened his account immediately, drawing a good, early save out of Whitley Bay goalkeeper Tom Kindley.
Aycliffe went ahead in the 26th minute when Dion Raitt’s ball released Lambert through on goal and the winger made no mistake, firing the ball passed Kindley into the back of the net.
Craig McFarlane hit the crossbar and Paul Chow headed wide as the visitors looked to get back on terms but the Newtonians held on until the break.
And immediately after the break, the Royal Blues doubled their lead. Wilson found strike-partner Owens running through on goal and the former Shildon man clinically sidefooted the ball past Kindley.
The visitors eventually got back into the game with 13 minutes left when Bay legend Chow headed past Gareth Young from close range.
But any fears of an Aycliffe collapse were put to bed in the 80th minute when Owens rose highest to nod in Lambert’s corner.
Aycliffe now travel to Team Northumbria this weekend, seeking revenge for their League Cup defeat last week, against a side struggling in the relegation zone of Division One this season.
It is the first of five consecutive away matches for Oliver’s side, before they return to Moore Lane Park on Wednesday October 30 to host Whickham in the DCC.