5th November 2008 Newton Moor Durham Challenge Cup - South Shields 3 Birtley Town 4

South Shields: 1) S.Parkin. 2) G.Irving (c). 3) D.O'Brien. 4) M.Rodenby. 5) J.Oates. 6) J.Wightman. 7) C.Ellison. 8) R.Addison. 9) W.Crew. 10) P.Taylor. 11) T.Coe.

Subs. 12) A.Clark. 13) S.Fitzpatrick. 14) C.Hackworth. 15) J.Perry.

Birtley Town: 1) T.Davison. 2) A.Soulsby. 3) B.Johnson. 4) A.Innes. 5) R.Houghton (c). 6) O.Peterson. 7) B.Smith. 8) C.Hepple. 9) J.Sherlock. 10) S.Burns. 11) K.Hughes.

Subs. 12) I.Davidson. 14) T.Thirkell. 15) L.Gilbespin. 16) M.Hay. 17) A.Mallinson.


Yet another filthy night weather-wise as the match kicked off with a heavy drizzle sweeping across the ground. Can't remember what it's like to see a match played on a dry Filtrona Park pitch. :O(

There were no chances early on as both teams came to terms with the conditions, though Shields did come close in the 8th minute when Craig Ellison tried his luck from the edge of the box which flew narrowly over the bar. In the 12th minute however it was Birtley who made the breakthrough when they were awarded a free kick on the left 25 yards out. This was taken by Burns and his effort sailed over the top of Parkin and into the top right corner of the net for a surprise lead.

Within 3 minutes Shields had pulled level when a free kick upfield reached Tony Coe on the right, and he cut inside of two Birtley defenders to fire a shot all along the ground and through a crowded penalty area, into the far corner of the net. Birtley came straight back at Shields and should have been back in front within a minute when Peterson had a free header right in front of goal 8 yard out but placed it straight at Simon Parkin. A further minute later Birtley did get their second goal, thanks largely to the Shields defence not clearing their lines when they had time to, and this resulted in the ball reaching that man Burns again and he had time to turn and fire the ball high into the top corner for a 2-1 lead.

Shields tried to mount some pressure and on 26 minutes from a corner on the left, the ball was headed down to Ellison on the edge of the box but his shot went tamely wide. It wasn't long afterwards that Shields got their second equaliser of the game. In the 29th minute Jonny Wightman cut in from the right and his shot on goal was parried away by Davison in the Birtley goal and as the ball ran free, Willie Crew was onto it in a flash to fire home from the narrowest of angles at the far post.

Having pulled level again Shields almost let Birtley get back in from on 31 minutes when, from a free kick out on the left, Hughes had the chance of a free header in front of goal but just failed to make contact. With 2 minutes to go to half time Shields came close to going ahead when some good play by Crew led to the ball being laid off to Wightman but his shot was narrowly over the bar. Right on the stroke of half time Birtley very nearly went back in front with a carbon copy of their first goal, with a free kick out on the left and again Burns taking the kick. This time with the ball clearing the defence it drifted just past the far post for what was a narrow escape. So 2-2 at the interval and all still to play for. :O)

The second half got under way with both sides giving it a real go in what was a really good game to watch, (especially for the neutral). Birtley came close in the 55th minute following a free kick but Burns shot wide. Shields came back 3 minutes later and Ellison fired a dipping shot from outside the Birtley box but his effort drifted narrowly past the angle of bar and post with the keeper well beaten. Shields again went close on 69 minutes when Tony Coe won the ball in the right corner and passed inside to Paul Taylor who then passed to Willie Crew but his shot flew across the face of the goal with no one there to apply the finishing touch. :O(

Birtley then made a change on 70 minutes when Thirkell came on for Sherlock and within a couple of minutes they had taken the lead for a third time, and again Shields contributed to the own downfall with more slack marking in defence as Hughes was allowed plenty of time down the left to get a cross in which passed three defenders to reach the unmarked Smith at the back post and he had the simple task of side footing home. In the 74th minute Shields equalised yet again in what was proving to be a reall end to end contest. Craig Ellison received the ball some 35 yards out in a central position and he let fly with a tremendous shot that dipped over the keeper and just under the bar. Canny strike that was. :O)

Shields came straight back in an effort to get in front for the first time and within a minute came close to getting that fourth goal when Wightman 10 yards out, turned sharply but his shot came back off the left post with the keeper beaten. The ball was only partially cleared and Wightman got a cross back in from the left and Willie Crew was unmarked right in front of goal but his header struck the underside of the bar and bounced down and out with the linesman ruling that the ball had not crossed the line.

With 8 minutes remaining and with Shields still pressing forward, Wightman latched onto a flicked head on from Crew and had a shot but it lacked power and was easily gathered by the keeper. Birtley made another change by bringing on Gilbespin in place of Peterson. In the 84th minute Crew and Wightman combined again with Wightman getting in ahead of a defender but was forced out wide and his powerful shot flew into the side netting. A minute later Shields were rocked back when Birtley took the lead for a fourth time, this time following a corner on the right, that was blocked at the near post but the ball was put back into the danger area by Hepple and there was Soulsby to head the ball in from less than a yard out. Shields made a change with a couple of minutes left when they brought on Simon Fitzpatrick for Rodenby but time ran out on Shields and another cup falls by the wayside. :O(