Spartans travelled to fellow Blue Square North side Gainsborough hoping to advance to the 4th Qualifying Round of this seasons E-on FA Cup. However a 65 minute goal from Liam Needham sent the Spartans tumbling out for another season.

Blyth started the match more on the attacking front and should easily have led at half time.

After only 4 minutes Spartans had a great opportunity to sance the led. Andrew Leeson playing the ball wide to Andrew Thomspon who fed Scott Bell just outside the penalty area, he elected to pick a pass out to Robert Dale. His delicate chip fell into the hands of keeper Aaran Reid.

Only minutes later Leeson this time found Dale wide on the left, he dribbled past two defenders before centring the ball only for defender Liam Needham to clear, but only as far as Thompson whose rasping drive was well parried by Reid in the home goal.

It was all Blyth in the first period and Alex Gildea should have done better after getting onto a Thompson header.

However, in the second half the Spartans seemed to run out of ideas and as expected the home side came more into the game. Adam Bartlett had to be at his best to beat away a Wes Parker volley.

The killer goal came on 65 minutes. Gareth Williams wayward pass found Chris Hall away down the right, his deep ball to the far post found the unmarked Needham who slotted under the advancing Bartlett.

The closest Spartans came to taken the game to a replay fell to substitute Kenny Boyle in the dying minutes. A typical long throw in by Michael Hedley was flicked on at the near post by Leeson and Boyle coming in at the far post elected to shoot low down to the near post which keeper Reid easily gathered.

Blyth Spartans: 1 Adam Bartlett, 2 Ben Christensen, 3 Andrew Leeson, 4 Peter Snowdon (sub Kenny Boyle), 5 Richard Forster, 6 Gareth Williams, 7 Andrew Thompson (sub Michael Hedley), 8 Adrian Webster, 9 Robert Dale, 10 Scott Bell (sub Liam Gildea), 11 Alex Gildea.
Subs not used: - Graham Fenton.