Jake Lovatt scored his 10th goal of the season to put Newcastle Town just four points off the play-off places following a 1-1 draw at home to Glossop North End.
The striker slammed home from inside the area after a Rory Delap Esque throw-in from Kyle Stubbs to bring Newcastle level after James Askey scored an own goal just after the interval. Both teams had chances to win the game after that but, in the end, it finished honours even.
Even before the game, Castle manager Robin Van Der Laan had to decide who would go in goal following 1st choice goalkeeper Joe Slinn picking up a red card last week at City of Liverpool. Ultimately, it was an easy decision as he elected to bring Owen Mooney back to the club. The Wigan Athletic goalkeeper was on loan at the Red Industries stadium last season until January when he picked up an injury in the 4-3 defeat to Widnes.
Newcastle should have been at least 1-0 up in the first five minutes of the game as they had two excellent chances to score. The first came less than 30 seconds into the match when a long ball over the top found Ollie Ritchie, the midfielder got his shot away from the edge of the area but, it was straight at Glossop goalkeeper Louis Hood.
Then, just a minute later, Newcastle had the ball in the back of the net when a long throw-in from Stubbs evaded everyone including Hood and nestled into the goal. However, the laws of the game state that you cannot score directly from a throw-in and the referee James Allsopp correctly ruled it out and gave the Hillmen a goal kick.
From there Glossop grew into the game and started to dictate proceedings. Their best chance came on 20 minutes when a corner was only cleared as far as Luke Nock who tried his luck from the edge of the area. However, it was a comfortable save for Mooney.
Keaton Mulvey then had a fantastic chance on 30 minutes, when he went on a mazy run to the corner of the area. Sadly for Glossop, after all that good work he put his chance over the crossbar.
The Hillmen did take the lead just five minutes after the break when Mooney’s poor clearance fell straight to Mulvey, the forward got into the area before rounding the goalkeeper. He then unselfishly squared the ball across the penalty box to Jacques Etia who had the simple job of scoring which he did, although the goal did get credited as an Askey own goal by the Newcastle Town social media team.
It should have been 2-0 on 63 minutes when a ball over the top found Mulvey. The forward probably took one too many touches and forced Mooney into a fine, but routine save, to keep it at 1-0.
That save sparked Newcastle into life and, they levelled just 60 seconds later when another Stubbs long throw, which he was doing all game, fell to Lovatt in the area who pounced on the ball before steering it past Hood for 1-1. Lovatt did also praise Luke Dennis in his interview after the game for dragging the defender away from where the ball landed.
Newcastle went in search of a winner and, almost got one on 81 minutes when Hood made a fine double save, the first to deny Lovatt his second goal of the afternoon and then he stopped Ritchie from scoring the rebound.
In the final minute of normal time, substitute Callum Parker had a great chance to score as he showed a fine bit of skill to sit two Glossop defenders down on the ground before curling a fantastic strike just wide of the post. It would have been some strike had it gone in.
They were almost left to rue those missed chances in injury time when a cross fell to Harry Freedman, however, the forward who is the son of former Crystal Palace forward Dougie Freedman, was unable to connect and the ball bounced out for a goal kick.
A draw was probably the fairest result in the end and, it lifts Newcastle up into 9th spot in the league table and puts them just four points off the playoff spots. They can move to within one point of the playoffs on Tuesday night when they welcome Colne to North Staffordshire.
After the game, I spoke to goal scorer Jake Lovatt to see how he was getting on with life at Newcastle.
Newcastle Town: Mooney, Conlon, Stubbs, Askey, Dennis, Ritchie, T.Van Der Laan, J.Lovatt, J.Van Der Laan (Lloyd, 61) and Morley (Parker, 85).
Unused subs: Torjussen, Hurst and Russo.
Glossop North End: Hood, Zuk, Sanogo, Stayner, Wilshaw, Coker, Nock, White (Kilheeney, 77), Gillam, Etia and Mulvey (Freedman, 90)
Unused subs: Rothwell, Hopkins and Burey.
Attendance: 184
