Paullow

Didn't think Portsmouth vs Southampton would have been dumped on Sky Sports + with an inferior service and coverage coming on 5 mins before kick off. It's not even on Sky Sports +, that's WSL mutliview. Have to access via the red button. Shite.

Mixed bag of results for the local NPL East sides. Redcar and Dunston won towards the top end, as did Newton Aycliffe towards the bottom. Defeats for Blyth S, Consett and Heaton as well as Ashington who had a terrible loss away at Silsden who are very much in the relegation fight. Bishop Auckland drew. Blyth T's bottom of the table match with Lincoln U was postponed. Familiar name Conor Washington got the winner for 2nd place Matlock against the Spartans, but they remain 10 points behind leaders Redcar.

I'm about 30 mins behind as I had to nip out, but watching the Magdeburg vs Dynamo Dresden match on YouTube. Kicked off at 7.30pm, but have avoided the score. An old East German rivalry who were 2 of the better sides in that region, but both have struggled since German reunification. Both towards the bottom end of Bundesliga 2, but Magdeburg have won 3 of their last 4 and Dresden won their last match.

Great stuff.

You knew that was in before he headed it.

Gerrin, marra.

Loved the look the ref gave there before sticking with his decision

It currently has Hebburn 1-0 up . You'd think it wouldn't be hard yo get the score right of a team who may go top of their highest level.

The NPL website really is horrific, there are times when the league tables are a couple of weeks behind and wiki is more up to date.

Disallowed? NPL website have it 0-0 at half time.

God knows what Blyth Town have had in their cornflakes recently, but after their 4-0 away win at the weekend, they ate now 3-0 up at home to Newton Aycliffe who had been in reasonable form recently. They looked dead and buried a few days ago.

Esh look knackered, but I think 3 are supposed to go down, although if 3 or 4 of the Blyths, Ashington's etc. get relegated from the NPL East, then there could be a reprieve for some.

AFCON final about to start on E4. Hosts Morocco vs Senegal. I've not watched much at all of the tournament, but will be tuning in for this. Jackson, Mane, I Ndiaye, I Gueye, Diouff all starting for Senegal, as well as former PL players in Mendy in goal and Nakhate, who gave away the late penalty when we beat Forest.

I think if Cramlington can and do get promoted they will unfortunately be replacing one of the very few Northumberland sides in Prudhoe, shocking form Lost 6 in a row, or 1 point from 12 games, and no wins in 14. They've been bottom 5 pretty much all season, but somehow still not in the bottom 3, although surely just a matter of time as everyone has games in hand below them, most of them having 3 games in hand. They play Esh Winning on Wednesday, so if they don't win that it probably will be curtains. I don't know, but they probably won't be too devastated if they did drop. Crowds aren't amazing and there are a few old Tynedale sides in the league below. The old Prudhoe Town team used to often struggle at that level, although I remember them dropping down to the Wearside League when they did get relegated, so I'm not sure which league Youth Club would enter if they are relegated.

Stephenson was MOTM in his debut for Blue Star yesterday. He will probably be on more money at Star anyway, and if so, it's pretty much a no brainer, although maybe a bit of contradiction in his signing quotes: https://www.nbsfc2018.co.uk/post/the-latest-addition-in-ne15-welcome-to-blue-star-dan NE15s latest addition, Dan Stephenson, added: “Blue Star is obviously a club on the up, with the facilities they’ve got and where they want to be on the pitch, so hopefully I can contribute to achieve their ambitions. So he'll probably help the club achieve their ambitions and be on the look out for another NL club, ha. They haven't had as good a season as expected and will likely struggle to make the playoffs, so I guess from his perspective he'll likely have at least 18 months at tier 10 before he even needs to think of moving on again.

Cramlington United have apparently applied for promotion so hopefully they will finish in a strong enough permission to get their. You'd think a town the size of Cramlington should have a team at that level, but I'm not sure they have had one in my time. I'd be very young if they did.

More happened in the first 4 mins here than the whole 96 mins in our match.

They all held out apart from Newton Aycliffe who conceded a late goal to draw with Consett. Blyth S 4 Grimsby B 0 Bridlington 1 Bishop Auckland 3 North Ferriby (were 6th) 0 Blyth T 4 Newton Aycliffe 1 Consett 1 Ashington got thrashed at home, Dunston beat Heaton, Redcar got a stoppage time winner to remain 10 points clear at the top. Table looking a lot better now. Still 3 NE sides in the relegation zone, but other teams are more in reach, and a lot of out of form sides as you can see below. Lincoln and Silsden drew 1-1 which was probably the best result in that game as they will be 2 of the main sides those northern clubs will be looking to finish above with them 2 both being promoted last season.

So fantastic current scores in the NPL East towards the bottom. Could really shake things up if they stay the same.

Might not be the worst thing in the world. At 0-1 we had about 7% chance of going through, at 0-2 it's nearer 1%, so less of a distraction and can maybe treat the 2nd leg more accordingly now.

It's class man

Should spark the crowd that.

I know it's a cash grab, but quite looking forward to Barca vs Real, feels like a long time since I matched this match - usually seems to be on around 5pm on a Saturday and not on UK TV when they play in the league.

Lowest for 111 years apparently.

Was just going to ask wheneould be the last time they played as few as 40 games in an entire season. The early PL years were 42 matches, and they've been in Europe most of the last 30 years.