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We’ve done it again - clinched our sixth consecutive title and promotion to the Northern Football Alliance First Division, finishing the 2028/29 Second Division season with 74 points from 24 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses in 28 games. Scoring 90 goals and conceding 36 for a 54 goal difference, we’ve powered our way to Level 12 of the English football pyramid, driven by our academy and the brilliance of Jami Salo, Jack Smith and Flynn McNaughton. Forge Road has been a fortress, and we’re ready to take on the First Division with the same spirit.
After our 2-2 draw with Newcastle City on 2 December, we roared back on 9 December, thrashing Stobswood Welfare 5-1 at home. Jami Salo opened in the 19th minute, volleying in after Steve House flicked a pass from the corner following a long ball down the left. In the 42nd, Taylor Ragan controlled a hoofed corner clearance, passed to Dean Culbert, whose curling cross found Marcel Byrne for a far-post volley. Smith’s inswinging cross in the 50th was headed in by House, and after Danny Watson’s 87th-minute toe-poke for Stobswood, House set up Smith’s header in the 90th and struck the bottom left corner in the 94th.
On 16 December, we crushed Blyth Rangers 6-1 at Isabella Pavilion. Luke Heppell swept in Culbert’s pass in the 2nd minute, but Kelland Portas equalised in the 5th after defensive errors. House found Smith’s head in the 23rd, Byrne set up Smith’s low finish in the 43rd, and Byrne poked in a loose ball in the 50th. Salo’s stunning solo run and top-right finish in the 62nd, followed by House’s header from Culbert’s cross in the 89th, sealed it after Mick Lee’s red card.
On 23 December, we won 3-1 at Whitburn & Cleadon’s New Fields. Salo’s mazy 20-yard run from Broughton’s pass found the left corner in the 45th+1st minute. Byrne set up Martin Lindsay’s heavy-touch finish in the 47th, and despite Clint McAtee’s fumbled catch allowing Charlie Craigen’s 56th-minute goal, Salo’s 30-yard low drive in the 70th secured the points.
A 2-0 home win over Cramlington Town on 30 December saw Julian Mitchell head in Ragan’s far-post cross in the 23rd, followed by Salo’s finish from House’s low cross in the 40th.
On 6 January, we beat Wallsend Boys Club 4-2 at Kirkley Park. Neil Duff headed in Anthony Moro’s cross in the 11th, but McNaughton’s 10-minute hat-trick turned it around - scoring from Smith’s half-volleyed cross in the 24th, a penalty in the 27th, and a looping header from Smith’s cross in the 34th. Salo chipped the keeper in the 45th+3rd from Smith’s pass, with Duff heading in Ben Howard’s cross in the 66th.
We thrashed Ellington 5-2 at home on 13 January. McNaughton headed in Salo’s cross in the 12th after Walters’ high ball, added a penalty in the 39th, and cut inside from Ragan’s long pass to score in the 63rd. Neymar Schaffe headed in Layton Dorward’s cross in the 43rd, and Josh Turner capitalised on Walters’ tackle in the 45th+3rd, but Walters found the left corner in the 45th+1st, and Ragan set up House’s back-post header in the 74th.
On 20 January, we won 3-1 at Willington Quay Saints’ Rising Sun Sports Ground. Smith headed Ragan’s cross in the 23rd, House set up Salo in the 67th, and McNaughton finished Roberts’ lay-off in the 73rd after House’s interplay, despite missing a penalty earlier. George Seal’s 85th-minute header was their reply.
Our 1-0 win over North Sunderland on 27 January, with Martin Lindsay’s 35-second header from Jack Smith’s cross, secured promotion. The title was clinched on 3 February with a 2-1 win at Bedlington Terriers’ Welfare Park, with Byrne and Elliott Roberts scoring.
On 22 February, we drew 2-2 with Tyneside Independent Jordans at home. Salo scored in the 15th from Ragan’s pass, and McNaughton converted a penalty in the 27th, but Rees Bryan’s penalty in the 48th and Emeka James’ header from Bryan’s free-kick in the 84th levelled it.
A 2-1 win at Heddon United’s Walbottle Academy on 10 March saw McNaughton dink over the keeper in the 15th from Salo’s flick-on, with Thomas Watkin equalising in the 24th. Broughton’s header from Ragan’s cross in the 27th won it, despite McNaughton’s missed penalty.
On 24 March, we edged Willington Working Mens Club 3-2 at home. House volleyed in a parried header from Culbert’s cross in the 5th, but Jon Murray equalised in the 6th. Lindsay finished House’s header in the 30th, and after Murray’s 90th-minute equaliser, McNaughton headed in Bisset’s cross in the 98th.
Our final game, a 2-1 win over Newcastle City at home on 14 April, saw House head in Mitchell’s cross in the 33rd and McNaughton half-volley Roberts’ flamboyant pass in the 38th, with Neil Stone pulling one back in the 78th.
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The league table shows our dominance, finishing with 74 points, 19 ahead of second-placed Tyneside Independent Jordans (55 points), who secured promotion with us. Stanhope Town (48 points), Newcastle City (42), Whitburn & Cleadon (40), and Wallsend Boys Club (40) followed, with North Sunderland and Ellington on 38, and Willington Quay Saints on 37.
Bedlington Terriers (33), Willington Working Mens Club (32), and Heddon United (30) stayed safe, while Blyth Rangers (28), Stobswood Welfare (22) and Cramlington Town (20) were relegated.
Jami Salo’s 19 goals and 9 assists in 22 games fell just short of Ellington’s Josh Turner (20 goals), while Jack Smith’s 13 goals and 11 assists in 24 games, Flynn McNaughton’s 12 goals in 11 games (64 in 81 career games) and Steve House’s 10 goals and 9 assists in 27 games drove our attack. Clint McAtee, House, Broughton, and Culbert (27 games each) and Oliver Walters (25) were our most consistent players.
Next season, we’ll face Benton, Newcastle Independent, Burradon & New Fordley, Whickham Under 23s, Forest Hall, Newcastle East End, Newcastle University Reserves, North Shields Athletic, Cramlington United, Walker Central and likely Bedlington in the First Division, with two of Newcastle Benfield Reserves, Sunderland RCA Reserves, and Birtley Town Under 23s joining from the Premier Division.
