Max Ledson reports from the KD Stadium…
Marine defeated Northern League Division One side, Newcastle Blue Star, 2-0 at the KD Stadium to progress to the next round of the FA Cup.
The Mariners started the game by dominating possession and attacking the home side down the flanks, however, many of the crosses failed to find their intended targets and Blue Star survived.
Despite the visitors dominating the ball there were only half chances to speak of in the first half with Marine failing to test goalkeeper Dan Lister with any meaningful efforts.
The home side had a number of attacks of their own in the first half but Marine looked comfortable in their shape throughout and never looked like conceding.
The Mariners started the second half just as they did the first, dominating possession and putting the home side under pressure.
The 60th minute saw Ash Hunter come on for Marine and five minutes later he had created the opener. He picked the ball up inside his own half and showed great determination to stay on his feet under multiple challenges before driving into space towards the Blue Star penalty area. He then found James Brown in space who knocked the ball out of his feet and thumped one into the top corner from distance.
The visitors looked very comfortable after taking the lead and never looked like conceding. They were able to double their lead in the 81st minute after the ball was laid off to Matty McDonald towards the edge of the 18-yard box who drilled his first time effort into the bottom corner.
The Mariners can now look ahead to Monday when they will find out who they face in the next round of the FA Cup.
Newcastle Blue Star: Lister, Barclay (Dopson 75), Summerly, Oliver ©, Walker, Reid, Joisce (Burke 73), Dudgeon (Heppell 79), Wilson (Norris 89), Lanning, Kidd.
Unused subs: Sayer, Macleod, Hogan.
Marine: Barnsley, Brown, Sloane, Fielding, Wardle, Whelan, Gregson (Huby 85), Thomas (Roberts 90), Sinclair-Smith, McDonald, Bell (Hunter 60)
Unused subs: Doyle, Tierney, Nolan, McIntyre.
Attendance: 404