Alnwick Town are through in the Benevolent Bowl as Rothbury bow out and Amble lose in the league cup

Their opponents, West Moor & Jesmond, agreed to the game being switched to Alnwick Town Juniors’ 3G pitch to ensure the game beat the weather.

As well as the unexpected home advantage, Alnwick Town had ‘pitch advantage’ as they train on the artificial surface once a week.

The game ended 4-1, with West Moor having a player sent off and Alnwick giving away a penalty for the visitors’ goal and seeing a penalty awarded to them saved.

Speaking after the game, manager Richie Latimer said: “It was good for us to get a game in after three-four weeks off. All in it’s been a good day.

“You could tell, especially in the first half, the touch wasn’t there as much, the movement wasn’t there as much. You can train as much as you want but trying to do the same as a game is totally different.

“First half I thought we were pretty poor, I had to change game shape, which I don’t like to do, just to counter that a little bit.

“We had a couple of chances in the first half but we looked sluggish, we weren’t sharp enough.”

He added: “When they got a lad sent off we lost our rhythm a little bit, mentality-wise the lads think ‘oh well game over’ and West Moor have done well to get back in the game.

“It’s 90 minutes under our belt, we’re through to the next round in the cup, which is a big one for the lads.”

Also in the cup, Rothbury lost to 3-0 to Ponteland United, who play in the division above them, with the goals coming in the ninth, 43rd and 71st minutes.

Amble lost for only the second time this season when they bowed out of the Reeves Investment Services Northern Alliance George Dobbins League Cup, losing 4-1 to North Shields in the second round.

Most games in the Team Valley Carpets Northern Alliance First Division were postponed. Ellington’s 4-0 defeat against Wallsend Boys Club being one of the two fixtures that went ahead.