Plenty of rain prior to kick off produced a surface that was conducive to neat passing and both sides got the ball down and looked for openings. The visitors tried their luck with long rang efforts from Paul Whalley and Glynn Blackhurst. These would’ve been meat and drink in normal conditions, but zipped off the surface and Ryan Price did well to keep hold of the ball.

Chasetown took control of the game and their first clear cut opening arrived when Gary Hay squared to strike partner Nick Wellecomme who was denied by keeper Dave Parton as he slid out from his goal, spilling the ball into the path of Andy Westwood, only to recover to save again.

Harris had insisted on Chasetown playing a passing game to entertain and a move of a dozen passes saw Newcastle Town on the back foot, with Mark Branch’s eventual cross finding Wellecomme who curled an effort wide of the post.

The home side took a deserved lead in the final minute of the first half. Jon Richardson, whose last competitive game for The Scholars was in September 2010, swung over an inch perfect cross from the right and Wellecomme gambled to the near post and fired a volley beyond Parton under pressure from a defender.

Just before the hour, Chasetown went close to a second. Andy Westwood played a neat ball into the path of Simon Brown, only to see his low shot deflected wide off Aaron Carter.

Newcastle had been second best for much of the period since the goal, but had fifteen minutes where they would consider themselves unfortunate not to equalise. After a corner was partially cleared, Glynn Blackhurst saw a volley blocked by a defender, and his follow up effort was just wide of Ryan Price’s right hand post.

Skipper Richard Teesdale headed just wide of the post with 13 minutes left, following a Brown cross as Chasetown looked to kill the game off.

The visitors struck the upright through Blackhurst, and then Harrison went close as they searched for an equaliser.

Teesdale again went close firing wide after a Mark Branch free kick was only partially cleared.

The three points were finally wrapped up in the 89th minute. Substitute Greg Downes crossed from the right where fellow substitute Paul Sullivan’s header was partially cleared by Parton, the loose ball falling to Simon Brown. Brown confidently drove the ball home killing off any lingering Newcastle hopes.

In stoppage time, Harris’ men almost added a third. A Sullivan cross teed up Downes whose right foot shot was beaten away by Parton.

Chasetown: Price, Richardson, Branch, Slater, Bate, Teesdale, Westwood, Saunders (Downes, 83 mins), Wellecomme (Sullivan, 88 mins), Hay, Brown

Other subs: Johnson, Gould, Evans (not used)