5 mins: Vučkić shot 1-0

40 mins: Webster shot 1-1

Half time: Spartans 1 Magpies 1

50 mins: Baheng shot 2-1

57 mins: LuaLua shot 3-1

76 mins: McCabe header 3-2

90 mins: Ranger shot 4-2

Full time: Spartans 2 Magpies 4

A healthy attendance of over 1,300 made their way to Croft Park on Tuesday evening, as Blyth marked the centenary of playing at this ground by restaging the inaugural fixture back in 1909.

United won 4-2 that day and a century on, the 2009 Magpies returned to repeat that scoreline. Lord Ridley performed the kickoff in 1909 and his successor was on hand to continue the tradition tonight - quite what he made of our yellow kit though remains unrecorded....

The visitors were ahead within five minutes when Haris Vučkić blasted a shot past Mark Bell in the home goal - defending the newly-opened covered Kingsway End.

Blyth came back into it though and levelled through Adrian Webster five minutes before the interval - with United coming close to an instant response though striker Fabio Zamblera, who saw his shot saved before putting the rebound into the side netting.

Within five minutes of the restart the Spartans defence  obligingly parted for Wesley Ngo Baheng to score his third goal in as many pre-season games with a run and crisp shot.

And the victory looked to be wrapped up before the hour mark when Kazenga LuaLua's effort was fumbled into his own net by Bell, after a free kick from Danquah was touched to him. 

However the Spartans made a game of it and after a couple of near misses on Ole Soderberg's goal, long-serving midfielder Chris "Tadge" McCabe crashed home a towering header for 3-2 on 76 minutes.

Substitute Nile Ranger then returned from England international duty to muscle past a defender and shoot home with two minutes remaining to seal the win.

Both sides had joined the crowd in observing a minute's silence before kickoff in memory of Sir Bobby Robson, while gate receipts from the game are to be donated to the  foundation established in his name.

Biffa

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