FA Trophy: Blyth 1 Telford 0 - Report and pictures

Rob Edwards’ side lacked a cutting edge in the final third, and although they expended a huge amount of effort it counted for nought. The also largely nullified the threat from Spartans until late in the game, when the need to search for an equaliser meant Blyth started to find space, writes Richard Worton.

The Bucks trailed at half-time through Dale Hopson’s 10th-minute penalty, awarded when Jordan Lussey left a leg trailing and appeared to bring down the lively Jarrett Rivers.

The away side protested the award and after the game Edwards expressed his doubts as to the decision, suggesting Rivers went over too easily. Jas Singh was sent the wrong way from the spot, diving left.

That was a little harsh on the Bucks, but they managed to steer through those choppy waters and settled back down into a spell of possession. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was attracting the attention of the home defence, who swarmed around him; the disappointment was that the space that left on the field wasn’t taken advantage of by the Bucks.

Despite keeping Blyth at arms’ length, the closest they came to an equaliser in the half, in fact in the whole game, came when a free-kick from Elliot Newby was deflected onto the inside of a post before being hacked clear.

They emerged from the half-time break looking re-energised, and in the opening five minutes looked dangerous, using the width of wing-backs Ryan Wilson and Ross White.

However, they couldn’t sustain their influence on matters, and Blyth were able to maintain their advantage.

Edwards had opted to leave leading scorer Marcus Dinanga on the bench, playing Ebanks-Blake as a lone frontman. The on-loan Burton forward was introduced for Ebanks-Blake as the Bucks looked to inject more pace, then Anthony Dwyer came on for Aaron Hayden.

Despite John Marsden also pushing forward from a more deep-lying position, the chances wouldn’t come.

Max Leonard has yet to really make his mark in a Bucks shirt but was given a chance when Newby found him following a left-wing run and cut inside.

He let the ball run across him onto his right foot but his shot was deflected wide of the left side of the goal.

Marsden himself then came closest when given room 30 yards from goal to shoot, but his dipping effort wouldn’t come down in time and cleared goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald’s crossbar.

The gaps left by Marsden’s move forward and Hayden’s withdrawal gave Blyth an outlet, and they could have sealed the game late on when Shane Sutton was left as the sole defender against two Spartans forward. However, the will-the-wisp Blyth winger snatched at his effort from the edge of the box and put the ball wide.

Any late equaliser would have taken the game to 30 minutes of extra-time, the tie to be decided on the night. Connor Johnson, who had a fine game, bringing the ball out of defence, found himself at the back post to meet a Wilson cross but the ball hit him rather than him making a firm connection, and with that opportunity disappeared the Bucks’ Trophy dreams.

Bucks: Singh, White, Wilson, Hayden (Dwyer 79), Sutton (c), Johnson, Lussey, Leonard, Ebanks-Blake (Dinanga 62), Marsden, Newby (Murphy 86).

Bookings: White.

Blyth Spartans: MacDonald, Atkinson, Watson, Reid, Buddle, Hutchinson, Rivers, Mullen, Maguire (Rutherford 86), Hopson (Green 55), Dale.

Unused subs: Martinez,

Scorer: Hopson (9) penalty

Bookings: Green.

Referee: Samuel Barratt.

Assistants: Joseph Goodwin, Jonathan Bickerdike.

Attendance: 476