Percy Main 4 Newcastle Blue Star 5

As the score line suggests, a cracking game of football played out by 2 attack minded sides which yielded 9 goals, some of them of the highest order. The win consolidated Blue Star's lead at the top of the Northern Alliance Premier division table and maintained their 100% start to the season, while Percy Main, although disappointed to lose, could take great credit for their efforts against a side who will surely take some shifting from the league's summit.

Newcastle Blue Star, reformed in 2018, managed by former Newcastle United midfielder Kenny Wharton and watched on by Peter Beardsley, are one of North East non league football's more famous names, with an FA Vase win at Wembley to their credit in 1978. Their efforts of late have captured the public's interest and they brought with them the largest and most enthusiastic following that Purvis Park has seen for a league match for many a year.

For Percy Main, Chris Fitsimmons slotted in at left back, James Mobberley was restored to the heart of the defence and Paul Collinson, top scorer at the club for the last 2 seasons started his first game of the season following injury and he would wonder how his second half hat trick would not be enough to provide his side with at least a point.

The visitors started on the offensive as Josh Scott and Steve Anderson were denied by Main goalkeeper Liam Mooney, while at the other end, Collinson's chip was just too high, but it was Blue Star who struck first blood on the half hour mark as Scott outside the area and in a seemingly innocuous position, fired home a goal with Mooney possibly unsighted.

Dan Souter for Percy Main was busy as he tested visiting goalkeeper Phillip Mills and then at the other end, headed clear as Ben Pentland threatened, while in reply, Collinson twice went close for The Main, before Yannick Aziakanou sent a shot fizzing narrowly over Mooney's crossbar.

Parity was restored on the approach to half time as Joe Rowan touched on to Chris Laidlaw, who showed great strength to outwit covering defender Scott Goldsmith, before executing a superb finish past the dive of Mills.

If Percy Main had ended the first half on the ascendency, then Blue Star certainly started the second half in determined fashion and scored 3 times within a devastating 14 minute spell to seemingly put the game to bed. Firstly Malik Kalimba curled the ball home from the left and then 5 minutes later, fired home an unstoppable free kick into the top corner of the net. Aziakanou made it 4 on 59 minutes as he rifled home from the edge of the area and the travelling support must have wondered just how great their margin of victory was to be.

On the hour, Scott sent a low shot just past the post, but Percy Main threw themselves a lifeline minutes later as substitute Michael Beck was upended in the area and Collinson converted the resultant spot kick. Any hopes of a comeback seemed dashed as Blue Star restored their 3 goal cushion on 71 minutes, as Scott made space and fired low into the bottom corner.

Once again, the pendulum swung and the scoring was far from over as Collinson supplied by Ian Dunn turned and fired over, but the centre forward made amends as he seized onto a defensive error to round the goalkeeper and then scored the home side's fourth, after once again taking advantage of hesitancy in the Blue Star rearguard.

MOM - James Mobberley

Attendance - 150

Next game - away to Whitley Bay Reserves on Wednesday night. (Sept. 11th)