North Shields enjoyed their biggest win of the season against Carlisle City on Saturday
The Robins dominated the second half, with Regan Paterson bagging a goal and two assists during a man of the match performance.
Further goals scored by Tom Bexton, Lee Mason, and Stephen Hall rounded off what was an incredible team performance.
Despite the scoreline, the Sky Blues didn’t go out with a whimper, they showed their fangs in the first half and created some dangerous chances of their own. After Stephen Hall missed from close range, Carlisle launched a vicious counter attack, culminating with Jordan Irving having a first time half volley in the box that looked as though it would dip into the bottom left corner, but whizzed past the post instead.
Carlisle’s number nine would have an even better chance five minutes later, as he ran past Tom Bexton to latch onto a through ball, but he scuffed the shot as he ran into the center of the box, a huge let off for the Robins that may just have sparked the reaction which followed.
The opener came in the 36th minute, when Regan Paterson received the ball from Callum Ross 25 yards from goal, before firing a rocket of a right-footed shot just under the crossbar.
Just three short minutes later and we doubled our lead, a long throw-in into the box caused chaos for the Carlisle defence, who could only clear the ball a couple yards out back to us. Ross then caressed the ball into the box from the wing, and Bexton was on hand to volley home with his right foot, before wheeling away to celebrate in the corner.
HALF-TIME: Carlisle City 0-2 North Shields
Paterson stated in a post-match interview that the team were told to carry on with more of the same going into the second half, and they excelled going forward in these last 45 minutes.
Carlisle struck the post with a header in the opening minutes of the second half, but the home side were soon picking the ball out of their own net once again. Paterson slid a low cross into the feet of Lee Mason, who turned sharply away from his marker before slotting calmly into the bottom-right corner.
The Robins sensed blood and scored a fourth almost immediately the third. Lashley did well to work the ball onto the wing, before Paterson put the ball into the box once again. This time an unmarked Stephen Hall rose like a salmon to score a diving header.
Paterson tested the keeper again to almost score his hat-trick before substitute Nelson Ogbewe hit a volley over the crossbar as the Robins continued to hunt for a fifth goal.
Despite some ferocious defending, there was nothing Carlisle could do to stop the Shields onslaught, and Paterson would score arguably his best of the bunch in the 86th minute. After sending the defender in front of him to the floor after a clever change of direction, the winger then finished the move off with a lovely chipped shot over the Scott Simons in goal.
A classy end to a truly five-star performance from North Shields.
FULL-TIME: Carlisle City 0-5 North Shields
North Shields: Elliott, Sampson (Slater, 77), Adams (Anderson, 55’), Ross (Holmes, 66’), Bexton, Harmison, Paterson, Wanless, Hall, Mason (Carr, 72), Lashley
