By Peter Burgon

PONTELAND UNITED 2

AFC NEWBIGGIN 3

AFC Newbiggin staged one of the comebacks of the season in the Northern Alliance Bay Plastics Premier Division against Ponteland United in sweltering conditions on Saturday, recovering from 2-0 down after 25 minutes to claim all three points with a dominant second half performance.

In a lively opening to the game, the visitors won a corner on the right inside the first minute and the resulting delivery was headed over. At the other end, Mason Stephenson's flicked-on header put centre forward Myles Candlish through on goal but his low strike was just wide of Robert Hodgson's near post.

The visitors were made to pay for some poor defending when Dom Malpass scored the opener in the 10th minute. Given too much space in the box from Stephenson's square ball, Malpass took a touch before firing past Hodgson into the bottom corner (1-0).

AFC Newbiggin rallied after that setback but were unable to seriously test home keeper Dan Brown who punched clear a Rio Eastway corner and then saved Matty Nelson's angled free-kick from the right corner of the box which was fired straight at him.

The hosts doubled their advantage on 25 minutes through Stephenson. Counter-attacking from deep inside their own half after a Newbiggin free-kick failed to clear the first defender, a long ball over the top found the pacy Candlish in space down the right. He cut it back across the box to an unmarked Stephenson who rifled a sweetly-struck left-footed shot beyond Hodgson into the far corner (2-0).

The visitors continued to press without reward as half-time approached. Brad Higgins dispossessed full back James Walker near the corner flag on the right before cutting inside and his curling left-footed strike heading for the far corner was palmed away by Brown at full stretch. Nelson was then unlucky to see his 25 yard effort rebound to safety off the outside of the post with Brown beaten.

On the counter-attack, Malpass slipped a perfectly-timed pass in behind to put Candlish clear just outside the box but the striker's effort was blocked by the advancing Hodgson.

Ponteland only had themselves to blame after conceding a goal on the stroke of half-time. They lost possession when on the attack outside the Newbiggin box and Higgins wasted no time in sending a pinpoint through ball to Nelson who raced away from two defenders before coolly slotting it home from 20 yards (2-1).

In contrast to the opening period, it was one-way traffic towards the Ponteland goal after the break and it came as no surprise when the visitors equalised in the 63rd minute.

After winning a corner on the left soon after replacing winger Jakub Zych, 20-year-old Sam Richardson's delivery beyond the back post was headed back into the mix in the six-yard box. It struck the back of defender Kieran Tubman's head and was fumbled by the keeper before being poked across the line by 18-year-old full back Jack Livingstone (2-2).

Soon after the equaliser, the home side's task was made even harder when experienced centre half Dan Hadfield was sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes.

The visitors remained on the front foot in what must have seemed like wave after wave of attacks for the Ponteland backline to repel.

From a well-worked move started inside his own half, Newbiggin central defender Rhyan Clark found space inside the box on the left before curling a shot over the crossbar.

The pressure was unrelenting at this stage and, from a third corner in quick succession, substitute Robbie Little's superb delivery into the six-yard box was met by Higgins who guided a header beyond Brown for his 11th goal of the season (2-3).

Ponteland substitute Charlie Maddison replaced Malpass for the closing fifteen minutes and caused a few problems down the right with his pace but the final ball was always cut out.

Play continued for an additional seven minutes before referee John Henderson blew for full-time and the visitors were then able to celebrate a fully deserved victory with Hodgson not having a single shot to save in the second half.

Peter Burgon - Football Correspondent