2 - Smith
3 - Talbot
4 - Kirkup
5 - Scope
6 - Barclay
7 - Brabbs
8 - Southern
9 - Benjamin
10 - Ramsey
11 - Morris
12 - Chapim
13 - Galas
14 - Wightman
15 - Fitzpatrick
16 - Briggs
South Shields defeated bottom club Stokesley convincingly at Filtrona Park on Saturday, picking up a valuable three points and some much needed confidence.
The first chance of the game fell to Alex Benjamin on six minutes, when he was played through on goal and struck the ball low and hard, but Hutchinson in the visitors goal saved well.
But the Shields number 9 was not to be denied a second time when on ten minutes he was played through again, this time making no mistake with a low shot past Hutchinson to put the home side into an early lead.
Hush your mouth
Southern battles
Denver Morris
And Benjamin thought he had doubled his tally five minutes later after getting on the end of a Stephen Ramsey cross and tapping the ball over the line, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
In the net but ruled out
The second goal wasn’t far away though as defender Jamie Scope collected the ball from a corner, his first shot was blocked by the defence, but he was provided with a second attempt and hit it straight down the middle of Hutchinson’s goal to score his first goal for the club.
Scope celebrates the second goal
Stokesley looked more comfortable attacking than they did defending, and striker Indy was played through before shooting low but his attempt was saved superbly by Jonny Ball in the Shields goal.
The visitors were then awarded a free kick on 25 minutes, which was taken by full back Holbrook, who beat the Shields wall with his strike, but Ball was again able to meet it.
Denver Morris, making his first start for South Shields was causing the Stokesley full backs plenty of problems with his electric pace and on 33 minutes, his cross from the left was met by the head of Benjamin, but his effort was wide of the target.
Denver shows his pace
Benjamin then became provider, switching the play to David Southern who ran at the defence before unleashing a low curling shot that went wide of the goal.
Flying save
Fierce Competitor
Benjamin then went close to adding a third not once, twice but three times on 42 minutes, but he was unable to get enough power behind the ball to beat Hutchinson.
Benjamin flies high
After the break, Shields upped the tempo of their play.
Ramma goes close
On 52 minutes, Man of the Match David Southern produced some great skill before delivering a perfect cross that was headed home by Andrew Barclay to make it 3-0 to Gary Steadman’s men.
Barclay heads the third
And two minutes later it was 4-0, when David Southern struck a superb long range effort that went straight into the roof of the net.
Davey Southern celebrates
Shields made it 5-0 on 62 minutes, when a looping cross from Barrie Smith on the right found the head of Benjamin who out jumped Hutchinson to grab his second goal of the game.
Lean Times
Shields continued to dominate and pressurise the Stokesley goal, and after being awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, David Southern stepped up and hit a curling shot that came back off the post.
Yanis foiled
Ten minutes before the end, Stokesley pulled one back through Porritt after some indecision in the Shields defence.
Ramma first again
On 88 minutes, a superb half volley from Simon Fitzpatrick was saved well by Hutchinson, but on the stroke of full time Stokesley were to grab another goal when substitute Robinson headed home from a corner to make the score 5-2.
Eyes on the ball
That was how the game was to finish, and Gary Steadman will be pleased with his team’s performance and will hope they can take confidence into the Tuesdays game with Whitley Bay, which takes place at Filtrona Park with a 7.30pm kick off.
