HIGH flying Haltwhistle Jubilee made light work of Cullercoats U21 as they cruised into the second round of the Northumberland FA Minor Cup.

The 5-0 victory will be remembered for stunning strikes by two the of the club’s in-form strikers, with Jack Barker finding the top corner from 25 yards, and Kieran Robley netting with a spectacular overhead kick.

But the match was another emotionally charged one for Haltwhistle. It took place just a day after the funeral of club chairman Malcolm Hind, following his death last month.

Malcolm was a key figure behind the scenes as the Jubes made the transition from Sunday league football to a competitive Northern Alliance outfit. Jubilee players from past and present attended the service at Haltwhistle’s Holy Cross Church. They walked as part of the funeral procession wearing club jackets, along with coaches and committee members, and also gave a guard of honour.

Manager Cameron Bell said: “It was a very emotional day. I believe there were 500 people at the funeral which is no surprise given how popular and well known Malcolm was.

“He did such a lot for the football club and was very closely involved. The players considered him as a friend and he was very much one of the lads.

“As a team we were eager to put on a good performance for Malcolm on Saturday, and he would have been pleased with the win and the great goals we scored.”

Heavy rainfall caused Haltwhistle to switch the home tie to nearby Bardon Mill, due to a partially waterlogged pitch at the Burn.

“The pitch just wasn’t quite playable, so we are grateful to Bardon Mill for the use of their facilities,” added the manager.

“We played well and took our chances on the day. We’re pleased to get the fixture out of the way because postponements can lead to a very busy schedule.”

The match saw Barker and Thomas Wilkie both score twice, while Robley struck his spectacular solitary goal from 12 yards. Liam Crowe was man of the match.

Meanwhile. the Jubes have strengthened their squad with the re-signing of former player Shaun Johnstone, while ex-keeper Mark Rowell has also signed up to provide back-up. Haltwhistle will return to league action on Saturday. The Northern Alliance Division Two leaders will host Stobswood. Kick off is at 2.30pm.