Skipper Steven Mundy can’t wait to test Team Northumbria’s top flight credentials in Wednesday’s cup derby after the Division Two leaders put their promotion campaign back on track.
The Coach Lane club endured a spell of late pressure – and the loss of in-form midfielder Kane White – to bag a 2-1 win against Northallerton Town in the Northern League.
And Mundy insisted a hard fought three points is just what the doctor ordered ahead of a mouthwatering midweek clash at West Allotment Celtic in the Northumberland Senior Cup.
“I cannot wait for Wednesday,” said Mundy after the TN captain was denied a clean sheet by Northallerton skipper Stuart Owen’s stunning second half strike.
“We should be playing in the same league as them anyway and this is our chance to prove it.
“West Allotment have a great pitch and it’s got the potential to be a great game.
“The Northumberland Senior Cup is a competition we genuinely believe we can win.
“Team Northumbria got to the final a few seasons ago and the dream is to play under the lights at St James’s Park.”
Mundy had little to do before the break against a Town side that hit 11 past Alnwick earlier in the week.
The experienced goalkeeper comfortably marshalled a solid back four and it was centre half Ross McKeown who started a superb move that broke the deadlock.
The defender’s neat pass found Kevin Carr and the midfielder drew the defence before squaring for Joel Bradley to slot home.
That 14th minute lead was doubled on the half hour mark after target man Dan Taggart was hauled down by Town’s Matty Lovatt inside the area.
The Northallerton man was lucky to escape a straight red but Ben Dibb-Fuller dished out the deserved punishment with a coolly taken spot kick.
TN had recovered well from the loss of White to a painful knee injury – the midfielder stretchered from the pitch clutching his left leg.
And Mundy added: “We actually enjoyed our best spell after Kane was carried off. It could have knocked us off our stride but we responded well.
“We were under the cosh just before half-time and again for a spell after the break. But I don’t feel as if Northallerton would have scored if it wasn’t for another fantastic strike.
“It’s ridiculous really but the Northern League could already put together a decent highlights reel of world class goals scored against us this season!
“In the end I was really proud of how the lads stuck in and dug deep. It wasn’t what I’d call a quintessential TN performance but we got the job done.
“And after a series of poor results it was the win we needed. West Allotment in the cup can’t come soon enough.”
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