ALNWICK TOWN 2 WARK FC 0

Alnwick Town were at home to league leaders Wark who are eight points clear of their nearest rivals before kick off, the home side were looking to reverse a 3 – 1 defeat at Wark earlier in the season.

On a heavy St James Park pitch Alnwick were under pressure in the opening minutes as Wark forced a succession of early corners. But it was the home side who took an early lead on 10 mins Scott McMullen releasing midfielder Chris Moffet on the right and the youngster brushed aside his marker and squared the ball to forward Ben Keenan to finish from 12 yards for his eighth goal of the season, Keenan thought he had added to his tally as he had the ball in the net twice more but was deemed to be offside on both occasions. Wark were being frustrated as the back four of Alnwick were resolute in there defending giving the Northern Alliance leading marksman Mark Nixon little space. Alnwick went in at the interval with a slender advantage.

 The first ten minutes of the second half Wark had their best spell of the game as they pressed for the equaliser, Brian Brooks in the Alnwick net tipping his only real save of the game over the bar from a shot from inside the box. Alnwick midfielders were dominant after the early pressure and were finding it easier to find the front runners as Wark were leaving gaps as they pressed forward.

Alnwick went two up after great link up play from Dale Kennedy who fed the ball in to the path off Moffet who broke clear of his marker just inside the halfway line and as the Wark keeper came off his line he calmly chipped the keeper from 25 yards for a terrific goal. It was all Alnwick at this point James Lang firing wide of the post from a tight angle, Richard Brown was then unlucky as he spun on the edge of the box and fired a superb shot which smashed against the crossbar and rebounded over every ones heads on the edge of the penalty area.

To be fair to Wark they pressed to get a foothold in the game but the pace of the Alnwick's forwards on a heavy pitch as the game was stretched played into the home sides favour and Alnwick ran out worthy winners grabbing a vital three league points.

 Alnwick will have it all to do again away to Wark in the semi final of the Benevolent Bowl in there next match, not the best preparation playing the same team twice in a week but after a solid performance from Alnwick it is sure to be a cracking match.

 Pizza Royale Man of the match Chris Moffet.

TEAM: Brian Brooks, Danny Lowes, Neil Catlow, Bryan Murray, Gary Patterson, Scott McMullen, Tony Brown, Mark Cockburn, Chris Moffet, Tom Vickers, Ben Keenan, Richard Brown, Dale Kennedy, James Lang.