Match report by Dave McMillan

An 88th minute Karl Noon goal preserved Marine’s unbeaten start to the League season, as they drew a thrilling game 3-3 at Blyth Spartans on Saturday.

In a great advert for Evo-Stik Premier Division football both sides will lay claim to thinking they should have won, the Mariners going agonisingly close to ending their Croft Park hoodoo when Andy Fowler’s shot rattled the crossbar with the score locked at 2-2.

A third goal at that point would surely have been enough, but Blyth came back strongly to grab the lead with 13 minutes remaining, before Noon popped up to salvage a point for the Mariners.

Marine were slow out of the trap and conceded a penalty after only seven minutes, Robbie Dale ghosting past Shaun Dowling in the box before being felled, Joe Kendrick stepping up to dispatch the resulting penalty by sending Callum Williams the wrong way.

Blyth continued to look the more likely scorers early on but the Yellows gradually felt their way back in to the game, Nick Rogan firing in a shot which produced a good block from the home defence.

The second penalty of the game went to Marine, Thomas Moore being tripped as he drove in to the box with the Vulcan dusting himself off to tuck the kick inside Conor Grant’s right hand post, the keeper getting a touch but being unable to keep the ball out on 24 minutes.

Substitute Matty Devine did well to put Marcus Carver in on goal, Dale stretching out a spindly limb to execute a fine saving tackle on the Marine forward as he shaped to pull the trigger.

First half injury time saw Blyth awarded a free kick in a good position 25 yards out to the left of centre, Craig Farrell shooting and seeing the ball nick off the wall before shaving the post by a whisker.

The sides exchanged headers over the bar, firstly Wayne Buchanan from Dale’s cross and then Carver doing likewise from Andy Fowler’s delivery.

Fowler and Michael Ordish both brought saves from Grant but the Mariners were not to be denied, Carver feeding Fowler to celebrate his 26th birthday by drilling a neat angled drive in to the bottom corner from 12 yards after 58 minutes.

Dowling tried his luck with a dipping volley which Grant punched away, Blyth breaking quickly through Shaun Vipond only to be hauled down by Moore.

Kendrick took the free kick and produced a peach, curling home a 25 yarder with power and pace that clipped the top of the post giving Williams absolutely no chance with 64 minutes elapsed.

Fowler then had his effort which thumped against the underside of the bar, further efforts from the same player and Noon being charged down as Marine continued to press.

Spartans grabbed the lead though Farrell, latching on to a ball over the top to get between Dowling and Paul Lundon, the experienced striker firing past Williams with aplomb.

Noon had the final word as the clock ticked down, Fowler bursting in to the box to roll the ball across, Noon’s first shot being blocked on the line but the rebound falling nicely for the striker to gleefully rap the loose ball in to the net, match drawn.

Blyth Spartans: Conor Grant, Shaun Utterson, Joe Kendrick, Shaun Vipond, Wayne Buchanan (Cap), Carl Jones, Lee Mason (Scott Blandford 72), Sam Hodgson, Craig Farrell, Phil Airey (Ashley Davis 82), Robert Dale.

Unused subs: Tom Berj, Jake Turnbull, Matty Hunter. Cautions: None.

Marine: Callum Williams, Shaun Dowling, John Shaw, Matty Brown (Cap), Paul Lundon, Thomas Moore (Robbie Lawton 67), Andy Fowler, Jonathan Goulding, Marcus Carver (Karl Noon 62), Nick Rogan (Matty Devine 30), Michael Ordish.

Unused subs: Liam Dawson, Joe Holt. Cautions: Shaw, Moore.

Referee: Mr. S. Hudson; Assistants Mr. C. Patterson, Mr. J. Simpson.

Attendance: 367.