HEXHAM stretched their unbeaten start to the new season to four games after earning a share of the spoils with Seaton Burn.

While they will feel they did enough for all three points, they came up against a battling Burn side who worked hard to get something from the midweek fixture.

Hosts Hexham were quickly into their stride and looked dominant in the early stages, in-form Liam Crowe dictating play in midfield and combining well with Matthew Wilson and the energetic duo of Nathan Riley and Bradley Lowes.

They all played a part in carving open the first chance of the game which ended with striker Tony Lancaster just pulling his shot wide.

The Hexham frontline of Lancaster, Lowes and Kurtis Harvey were causing problems for the Seaton defence, while brothers Scott and Michael Robson supported goalkeeper Tom Craney well as Burn’s pacy forwards Doug McCallum and Grant Patterson tried to break free.

Despite Hexham’s early pressure, it was the visiting team who took the lead following a melee in the box as defender Chris Baker struck past Craney.

Hexham struck back immediately though and Lancaster finished a flowing move when he beat his man and then powerfully struck home from the tightest of angles, with the help of a deflection off a Seaton defender. The home side were asking all the questions even in a more subdued second half, and they again came close through Lowes, Harvey, Lancaster and man of the match Wilson.

Lancaster again broke clear and looked to pull the trigger as he arrived in the box, only to be nudged off the ball by a recovering defender. While Hexham appealed for a spot kick, referee Colin Smith ignored the pleas. Teenager Robbie Pattison has been in fine form already this season in his introduction to senior football, and he had a good chance to win it late on after combining well with Lowes but his side had to settle for a point as it finished 1-1.

Hexham were plagued by an injury crisis at the weekend as they finished their 2-2 draw with Hebburn Reyrolle with 10 men.

Despite losing goalkeeper Oli Iley after just nine minutes, and seeing both Gavin Hunter and Tom North hobble off during the game, they still managed to claim a point after a battling performance.

Their game plan was messed up after Iley’s early injury, substitute striker Kurtis Harvey taking over goalkeeping duties but being largely untroubled due to some excellent defending.

Despite the setback, Hexham continued to try and build from the back by showing patience but the final pass would often let down some positive passages of play with strikers Ben Rodgers and Robbie Pattison unable to feed off much on the skiddy surface.

Hexham’s second injury blow came on 30 minutes when experienced defender Hunter had to withdraw with a calf strain, the team undergoing a re-jig with Liam Crowe reverting to centre half to introduce George Ridley into the game after his own lengthy injury lay-off.

And young Crowe shone in the new position, his character and passion earning him the man of the match accolade.

He couldn’t prevent Hebburn from breaking the deadlock six minutes into injury time at the end of the first half, a quick counter leaving Harvey helpless.

Picking the ball out of his own net was his last action in between the sticks as fellow outfielder Lewis Loughhead swapped roles, and Hexham came out for the second half with a spring in their step.

They were dominant for large spells and deservedly equalised when a defence splitting pass by Callum Duncan set Tom Hacking away, and, instead of going for a third in three games himself, he unselfishly squared the ball for teenager Pattison to tuck away.

The visitors had opportunities to gain the lead through Pattison and Harvey, but fell behind when a lack of concentration at the back was punished when a Hebburn man let leash an unstoppable drive.

Hexham’s third injury blow was a particularly cruel one as North, used as the third and final replacement, was badly hurt following a heavy challenge on the edge of the area, leaving the team with 10 men for the remainder of the game.

Yet they struck their leveller from the resulting free kick, an excellent set piece from Harvey seeing him open his account for the season and maintaining the Tyne Valley side’s unbeaten start to the new season.

Next up for Hexham is a home game with Heaton Stannington A on Saturday, followed by Wallsend Labour Club on Wednesday.