Willington failed to back up their superb 6-2 Wednesday night win over league leaders Jesmond FC as visitors Coundon And Leeholme left the barking dog with a 2-1 win for the second successive season.
The Saints kept the same eleven from Wednesday night as they looked to cement a place in the top 4 ahead of the September cup fixtures, Stephen King wearing the captains armband was making his 300th Saints appearance becoming only the third player in the clubs history to do so while there was also a 50th appearance for Jack Wearmouth.
Coundon had three wins and three defeats coming into the game and started the game well going ahead in the 11th minute as a strike from the edge of the box from Jak Crocher took a wicked deflection before wrong footing Luke Ord in the Saints goal and finding the bottom corner.
The visitors doubled their lead four minutes late as a right wing cross wasn't dealt with by the Quay defence and Johnson Ballan was left in acres of space to smash the ball home from 8 yards out to make it 2-0.
The Quay had it all to do and they nearly pulled one back when Jack Renwicks left wing cross picked out Ross Thirlaway who headed into the ground and wide of the post from 12 yards
King tried to celebrate his 300th game with a goal but his long range effort cleared the crossbar and the fence behind the goal as the Saints struggled to create any openings.
Just before half time Coundon should of killed the game off as winger Mohammed Hmida passed up two glorious chances first firing wide unmarked at the back post and then from almost the same spot his strike was brilliantly saved by the outstretched leg of Ord who somehow got the ball over the bar to safety
The half time break saw tall centre forward Dylan Adamson replace Ben McDermott and Kieran Dewhurst come on for his debut replacing Jack Wearmouth as the Saints looked to get back in the game.
In the first minute of the second half they did, a cross from the right was cleared into the path of Thirlaway and he smashed a half volley flying into the bottom right corner from just inside the box to halve Coundons lead.
Adamson went so close to levelling the scores as he cut inside his marker with ease before curling a shot from 18 yards out that beat the keeper but bounced back of the post before Renwick smashed the rebound over the bar from outside the box.
Coundon keeper Craig Forster was tested with crosses and long throws aimed at Adamson but he dealt with them brilliantly coming out to catch most of them.
The visitors almost saved themselves a nervy finish on the counter attack when their substitute ran through before curling a shot past ord that crashed back off the post.
The remaining ten minutes was played in the Coundon half with a series of corner kicks and free kicks wasted by the Saints and when one final corner deep in stoppage time was cleared the referee blew for full time to the jubilation of the visiting support.
A frustrating defeat after playing so well in midweek Coundons quickfire double in the first half proving too much for the Quay to overturn despite a much improved second half effort. A bye in the Minor Cup means a league game away to Seghill FC next Saturday where the Saints will look to bounce back with an away win.
