Blyth Spartans set for 'nerve-wracking' relegation decider

Spartans boss Jon Shaw says ‘it's still in our hands’ as Blyth face a nerve-wracking final fixture against third-placed Brackley Town.

The green and whites are level on 50 points with Farsley Celtic, who occupy the final relegation spot on goal difference.

They have been boosted ahead of the game as Shaw hopes to get some bodies back off the treatment table.

"We get Alex Mitchell back, which is a big one for us, and it looks like we’ll potentially get JJ Hooper back too,” Shaw told BSAFC TV.

“It’s going to be a big week for us in training, what we do around those two sessions, making sure we’re ready and also that we’re in the right mental frame of mind to go into the game. That’s something that we’re going to talk about.”

Shaw felt the pressure had told as Spartans crashed 5-1 at second-placed Scunthorpe in front of a noisy crowd of 4,389.

“It was a bit too big for some of our players, I think you could see that early doors,” he said.

“I can touch on the nine players that were missing, but at the same time Scunthorpe are a good side, the ground is great, the atmosphere’s great. It was a bit of a perfect storm for them – they needed the points to secure second and we needed something to get out, but obviously with the bodies we’re lacking we were pinned again with what we can do,”

Max Kouogun headed in from a corner and Kai Corbett tucked away the second from close range. Danny Whitehall netted a third before the break from another corner before Whitehall put away his 21st of the season from the spot.

Nicky Deverdics hammered in a penalty for a consolation in the 79th minute but Alfie Beeston fired in the fifth from distance in stoppage time.

“I didn’t go in there the happiest of managers at the break - I had to say something to try and give them a boost because at half time we’re a game and a half away from staying up or going down. They had to come out and be better, and they were.”