**AFC Newbiggin Draws 1‑1 with Grangetown Boys Club**
AFC Newbiggin’s unbeaten run was halted on Saturday afternoon when the side were held to a 1‑1 draw by Grangetown Boys Club at the club’s home ground.
The match opened brightly for Newbiggin, with a header from Jack Livingstone giving the hosts an early lead. The advantage was short‑lived, however, as Grangetown equalised with five minutes remaining. Newbiggin goalkeeper Ollie Huddleston also saved a penalty during the game, but the effort was insufficient to secure a win.
The result follows a 5‑0 victory over Chester‑le‑Street Town earlier in the week, a performance that had raised expectations for the Saturday fixture.
After the final whistle, AFC Newbiggin manager Simon Wilson expressed disappointment with his team’s performance. “It was frustrating. We said that we needed to make sure that we were bang up for it today because this would be a hard game. We needed to have the same intensity, the same desire, the same hunger all over the pitch,” Wilson said. He added that the side “never got out of second gear” and lacked the “spark” needed to maintain momentum.
Wilson also noted that despite the penalty save, the team failed to capitalize on the opportunity. “We scored a good goal… we’ve got our nose in front, and you think, ‘Right, just grind out the win, like a good side will do’. But we’ve been stretched too out of shape, it’s poor, and we’ve conceded from a set‑piece with a few minutes left,” he said.
The manager concluded that Grangetown’s perseverance earned them the point. “They deserved that because they won more second balls, they wanted it more than us, they had more hunger – which, for me, is awful when a team gets the better of you because they wanted it more,” Wilson remarked.
The draw leaves AFC Newbiggin with a point from the match, while Grangetown Boys Club secured a valuable result on the road.
Article and image source: northumberlandgazette.co.uk
