Newcastle Benfield v Seaham Red Star

Hosts: Newcastle Benfield Football Club

Venue: Sam Smith's Park, Cherrywood, Benfield Road, Newcastle, Tyne & Wear NE6 4NU

LOCATION REPORT

SatNav: NE6 4NU
(Note: ignore Northern League website which says Chesterwood, it's Cherrywood!)
Parking: small onsite car park for c40 vehicles, plus overflow for c20; limited on-street parking (Note: school car park adjoining is restricted) 

Public transport: Walkergate Metro (11 mins walk) or bus #553 (Gosforth-Wallsend)

Entry: adults £6, concessions £4
Programmes: £1

Refreshments: onsite "Snack Attack" cafe (eg £1.50 chips, £1 hot choc)
Licensed: onsite "Danny Gates Bar Lounge"
Toilets: bar
PA system: yes; clear, audible all areas; information, no music

Covered seating:

(N) main stand; tall, 5 tiers = c106 seated; flip/plastic

(S) opposite stand; lower, 4 tiers = c125 seated; plastic

Part-covered standing:

(S) pitchside terrace, open-roof with rafters, stepped = c50 standing
Open standing:

(all sides) concrete hardstanding & lean-on barriers; grassed outfield

Floodlights: 8 (4 per flank, immediate to warm-up)

MATCH REPORT

Kickoff: 7:30pm Wednesday 21 August 2019
Competition: Ebac Northern League Division One
Weather: autumnal (ie rainy, overcast, breezy, chilly)

Final [h/t] score (team colours):
6 [1] Newcastle Benfield (blue/white stripes, blue shorts)
1 [1] Seaham Red Star (red/white stripes, red shorts)

Sent Off: 0

Official crowd: 160

Official Northern League Report

Social media [Twitter]: @theofficialnl, @NcleBenfield, @SeahamRedStar

NORVENMUNKI's COMMENTS

The car park at Benfield is busy tonight, shared as it is with the on-site public gym, but the cluster of attendants helpfully point me to the last available space. There are lots of community pitches around this site and the neighbouring school, including junior matches.

The friendly banter continues at the turnstile. I pick up a programme from the jolly volunteers.

Once inside, I walk around to the main stand next to the dugouts. This takes me past a wooden cabin full of outdoor gym equipment, from which a spectator gets politely moved on.

After popping back to the Snack Attack cafe for an excellent hot chocolate, I settle in at the rear of the main stand.
The PA kicks in with fifteen minutes to go before kickoff, pouring firth with the customary welcomes and team announcements. To some people's relief, there is no music.

The floodlights flicker on just before the start, and are instantly bright with no warming-up delay.

There's tall netting to both the east and west ends, albeit during the warm-ups it fails to prevent stray shots going over into the fields beyond.

The turf was evidently long when mowed on a recent sunny day, and thus in many places it's more yellow than green. There seems to be ribs running side-to-side, which occasionally causes the players to lose grip throughout the game.
There is also a massive mountain of cut grass in the corner of the site, so that may not be a good place to stand if you have hayfever?

Behind me, the trundling sounds of a train passing, south to north.

After 15 minutes, we get an opener from the visitors. They've been the dominant side so far, as Benfield have barely been out of their own half.

I notice that the wooden pitchside structure on the opposite side that passes for a covered terrace is actually roofless; it looks like something from Ikea.

The wind whips up after half-an-hour, with the trees beyond the fence dancing merrily.

With the interval approaching, we get an equaliser; steady Benfield pressure breaks through the red wall with a shot driven in to the corner: 1-1. Can the home side hold on until the break?

Half-time. All square. Ones each.

The players re-emerge just as the patter of raindrops falls upon the steel roof above me. The air is chilly now and the wind is autumnal, my fingertips are sensitive as I type... and it's still August!

The game restarts. After 53 minutes, it's a penalty to Benfield as the home striker rounds the keeper, who hauls him down. Speaking as a neutral, I'd say it's absolutely a foul but the sweary Seaham bench disagree furiously. The ref sends the keeper off, which only incenses the bench more. Accusations of not knowing the rules abound; I'm no expert, so I can't comment.
The substitute goalie is on; but his first touch of the ball is to pick it out of the net: 2-1. Benfield start to turn things around.

After 57 minutes, it's 3-1. Seaham are a man down and the bench prefers to scream injustice rather than plot new tactics, so the blue striker buries his shot past the newly-arrived goalie.
It's getting silly now. The away bench and players are totally losing their composure. Every referee decision gets a volley of abuse. Eventually, the ref calls one of the bench team over for a final warning... it works, he doesn't say much more until the final minutes.

At one point, the ball flies off the pitch into the stand and skids beside me. I toss it back on to the thrower.

4-1 now: it's over as a contest. With the Seaham gaps exposed, Benfield cut through again. The PA announces the scorer through a screech of feedback; my ears are ringing.

Soon after, it's 5-1. With acres of space down the right wing, a deep cross skids into the six-yard box and tapped home by the fresh Benfield sub.
The home side have so much room and energy now, whilst Seaham's endeavour is thwarted by Benfield's numerical advantage.

In the final moments: 6-1. A foul on the Seaham forward goes unpunished and, whilst the away bench scream at the ref, their players switch off and Benfield walk another in from close range.

Full time.

The teams leave the field to ripples of applause from the locals. The screechy PA announces the game at the weekend. The Benfield coaches usher their players inside with minimal celebration.

The Seaham coaches are in the referee's face... undignified. Their trip back south will not likely be calm. The rainy drizzly journey won't make that any better.