North Shields advanced to the last 16 of the FA Vase after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Chadderton on Saturday.
Two remarkable goals by Brandon Slater including a 40-yard lobbed finish over Morgan Bacon sealed the win.
The home side finished the game with 10-men after Benito Lowe was sent off in added time.
It was a fairly cagey affair in the opening of the half, but the home side looked their best when either Lowe or Mclaughlin were on the ball, as the two were both physically and creatively threatening high up the pitch. On his first game back since his lengthy injury at the start of the season, Callum Ross had to step up to block a low cross in the box from Mclaughlin which looked destined to find a Chaddy forward just yards from goal.
Going up the other end, The Robins put some good crosses into the box, however they were mostly dealt with by the home defence. On one occasion Shields made a good move into the box, but found it too difficult to get the shot away given the amount of home defenders sitting deep. Eventually the ball was worked back onto the wing, where Blair Adams curled in a good cross into the six yard area, however nobody could get onto the end of it.
Later in the half, we looked to find an opener through more spectacular means, Brandon Slater almost got his first of the game with a sweetly struck volley on his right foot after a lobbed pass by Ben Harmison – the ball whistled past the post on this occasion.
Reece Wanless almost scored a worldie of his own from a similar position. Cutting onto his left foot, he looked to be aiming for the top left corner before the ball dipped and swerved back towards the centre, catching Bacon off guard and hitting the crossbar.
After sustained pressure, Slater fired us into the lead in the 38th minute. A short pass from Blair found the winger on the edge of the box, who sent the defender in front of him to the floor with some flair before guiding the ball into the bottom right corner with his left foot.
Tempers flared shortly before the interval when Euan Anderson was controversially booked following a sliding challenge, sparking a brief scuffle as the home side’s frustration grew.
HALF-TIME Chadderton 0-1 North Shields
Chadderton emerged for the second half with intensity and purpose, pinning Shields back for a sustained spell. Goalkeeper Callum Elliott was twice called into action, first tipping Lowe’s whipped free-kick over the bar before reacting sharply to push Matty Barlow’s effort from the edge of the area onto the post.
Manager Brian Smith responded with attacking intent, replacing Anderson and Hall with Lashley and Ogbewe. The hosts thought they had drawn level in the 66th minute when Lowe found the net, but the flag was quickly raised for offside.
Despite enjoying plenty of possession, Chadderton struggled to turn pressure into clear chances. With the tie finely balanced, it took a moment of brilliance to settle it.
That moment arrived seven minutes from time. After Shields regained possession in their own half, Ben Sampson rolled the ball to Slater near the centre circle. The winger shrugged off his defender, spotted Bacon off his line and executed a delightful 40-yard chip that dropped perfectly into the net, sparking scenes of jubilation among the travelling support.
Chadderton pushed for a late response, but their task was made even harder when Adam Dale was sin-binned in added time. Matters worsened when a visibly frustrated Lowe was shown a second yellow card and sent off in the 95th minute.
As the full-time whistle blew, the players and coaching staff rushed off to the corner of the pitch to celebrate with the away fans, having reached the fifth round proper for the second consecutive season.
FULL-TIME: Chadderton 0-2 North Shields
The draw for the last 16 will be announced on Monday at approximately 3.15PM (19th January)
