Derby day to forget for Drayton

Their host's playing area, separated from onlookers by a wide, banked, cycle track barrier, does nothing to promote the close up and personal involvement of fans.

And with Stoke City's clash against Chelsea a couple of miles away an obvious attraction, the paltry attendance of 92 was far from inspiring.

Periodically, players of both sides tried, often too manfully for referee Robert Hathaway's liking, to gee-up proceedings. All too briefly they looked capable of much, much better. But this only added to the feeling of "what might have been" and a gloomy atmosphere entirely in keeping with the dull, dank, day persisted.

Even Drayton's invariably ebullient manager, Martyn Davies, was a mite ambivalent in summing up his side's 2-0 defeat by opposition one place off the Evo-Stik Northern Premier South play-offs.

"I don't think we deserved to lose… but I don't think we deserved to win either," he said. "Okay, they scored twice but our goalkeeper, Ash Rawlins, had very little to do. I certainly don't think we were outplayed. We had several key players injured and that told, especially in the first half." The absence of talismanic central defender Paul McMullen and combative midfielder Dan Beddows was not an issue early on as Drayton made a bright start.

But apart from Will Whieldon's excellent free kick forcing a cracking save from on-loan Port Vale keeper Harry Pickering and Craig Ryan's so-close attempt to convert Glyn Coney's fine cross, their efforts on goal were few and far between.

Newcastle's chances were equally scarce but they made them pay, for a flattering 2-0 lead at the break.

A dubious free kick gave Ricky Bridge the opportunity to brilliantly flight their 19th minute opener over a five man wall beyond Rawlins' despairing dive – but their second was a giveaway. Drayton's midfield and defence got in a series of terrible tangles leading to Niall Green playing in the game's brightest light, an impressive Leigh Skellern, for his side's second eight minutes before half-time.

Drayton battled back and Simon Gregory's brave near-post header very nearly got the goal they deserved late on. But it seemed the harder they tried to score the less likely they were to do so.

And with Newcastle largely in the same boat, the second half drifted by, punctuated by Mr Hathaway's yellow cards, issued mainly to players airing their understandable frustrations.