8th November 2008 Northern League Division 1 - West Auckland Town 1 South Shields 1

West Auckland Town: 1) S.Hall. 2) N.Lowden. 3) K.Bromley. 4) M.Heckley (c). 5) B.Fairhurst. 6) I.Maddison. 7) J.Outhwaite. 8) D.Richmond. 9) S.Flockett. 10) J.French. 11) B.Stewart.

Subs. 12) S.Owen. 13) N.Pattinson. 14) J.Austick. 15) C.Musgrave. 16) A.Caisley.

South Shields: 1) A.Clark. 2) D.O'Brien. 3) G.Irving (c). 4) M.Rodenby. 5) J.Oates. 6) G.Reay. 7) T.Coe. 8) C.Ellison. 9) W.Crew. 10) J.Wightman. 11) A.Davis.

Subs. 12) S.Parkin. 13) L.O'Donovan. 14) S.Fitzpatrick. 15) R.Addison. 16) K.Jarvis.


After the defeat at home to Birtley in the Durham Challenge Cup during the week, it was back to Northern League duty today on a bright but cowld day. Shields included new signing Glenn Reay in the starting line-up.

Straight from the kick off Shields applied the pressure as they came forward at every opportunity. They came close in the 5th minute when Craig Ellison delivered a ball in from the right which was headed back across the goal by Ash Davis to Jonny Wightman at the far post. Wightman challenged the full back for the ball just 5 yards out but the linesman raised his flag for a foul by Wightman. The Shields supporters behind that goal voiced their disapproval at the very harsh decision.

Just a few seconds later the referee and linesman ignored Craig Ellison being clattered to the ground, a much worse incident but it went unpunished. In these early minutes Shields had continued to apply all of the pressure and on 12 minutes Duncan O'Brien sent an excellent ball upfield to Wightman on the left who then forced another corner. The corner was taken by Ellison and it needed a very good header from Fairhurst to clear the danger.

The pressure from Shields was relentless at this stage and again they came at West Auckland and in the 15th minute James Oates got the ball forward despite being fouled, and this was gathered by Wightman and he got to the byline on the left before passing inside to debutant Glenn Reay but the ball was cleared just before it reached the new lad. After more excellent play on 21 minutes this time by Ash Davis down the left who then got the ball up to Willie Crew but his cross was fractionally too high for the incoming Reay. Reay was certainly getting involved in most of the attacking play from Shields and he was in the thick of things again on 22 minutes after some good play from Wightman, again on the left before getting in a cross to Reay and his shot was well saved by Hall in the West Auckland goal before the defenders scrambled it away.

Shields continued to press forward but still the chances went begging. Couldn't help think that this could backfire on us if we didn't start converting the chances. After 33 minutes Shields again went close twice when firstly Glenn Reay had a cross deflected across the face of goal by a defender and just past the back post for a corner kick. This was taken by Craig Ellison and Willie Crew headed narrowly over the bar. 3 minutes later Reay broke down the right wing but his cross was a poor one and was easily gathered by the keeper.

On 37 minutes West Auckland were forced to make a change when skipper Heckley went off to be replaced by Owen, with the armband then going to Bromley. Throughout the whole of this first half nothing had been seen at all of the home side as an attacking force as they had been constantly on the back foot, but all of a sudden 5 minutes before the break they caused a scare in the Shields defence when Outhwaite got in a cross from the right and Clark seemed a little slow to get down to it and it needed a clearance for a corner to calm things. In the 44th minute West Auckland almost got through following a slip by Duncan O'Brien but the shot on goal was well wide of the target. On the stroke of half time Wightman tried a shot on goal from the left but this was taken comfortably by the keeper. So, half time arrived and the scores still nowts apiece.

Before the second half got under way West Auckland made another change, bringing on Pattinson in place of Lowden. Shields started the second half as they had the first with plenty of good approach play but time and time again it seemed they wanted to make just one more pass and the final ball was going astray. Craig Ellison got a cross in from the right hand side in the 58th minute and Jonny Wightman got to the near post but his glancing header was straight at the keeper from 10 yards. In the 65th minute it was the home side that came closest to opening the scoring when a one-two between Pattinson and Outhwaite left Pattinson clear in the box and from 15 yards his shot rattled the bar with Clark well beaten. Narrow escape that one.

As the second half had progressed the home side had been pushing forward more and more and applying pressure on the Shields defence and in the 69th minute it was West Auckland who broke the deadlock and yet again it was a poor goal to concede. The home side had forced a corner on the left and when this came across, Maddison was totally unmarked as he glanced a header past Clark. As with so many games this season, Shields had played a lot of good football only to find themselves trailing. Studs immediately made a change, bringing on Lee O'Donovan in place of Willie Crew. Within seconds Tony Coe broke though the home defence and in a 50/50 chase just reached the ball ahead of the keeper but his effort was just wide of the post.

Pattinson collected a yellow card in the 76th minute when he brought down Wightman as he broke through. The free kick was taken by Ellison from 25 yards out but the keeper collected easily. A minute later West Auckland almost increased their lead but Michael Rodenby was on hand to clear a goal bound shot off the line with Clark beaten. With 10 minutes remaining Richmond and Tony Coe were both handed yellow cards for an off the ball incident though Shields were awarded a free kick. As time was running out Shields piled on the pressure again to try and get the equaliser and with 8 minutes remaining following a scramble in the home penalty area, the ball broke to Lee O'Donovan who rifled the shot home from 10 yards.

Any hopes Shields had of going for a winner evaporated 2 minutes later when Tony Coe got a straight red card for a foul and the order of the day now was to hold onto what we had. The last few minutes saw no scares for Shields as they held on resolutely. As the final whistle sounded there was again the feeling that we had let points slip away when we deserved more. On we go though, hoping for better in the next game. :o}