It was a sunny day in the south of Durham, and a perfect day to watch our Robins fly into an enemy nest. This time, we headed to West Auckland Town with the aim of adding another win against a top side in the hopes of finishing the season in a strong position.
At the start of the game, West Auckland came out strong. They piled on lots of early pressure and whipped in some dangerous crosses. But then the Robins replied with pressure of their own, Jordan Lashley was called offside, and the long balls really started to fly.
The Robins came close in the 20th minute when Reece Wanless used a great bit of skill to nutmeg his defender and slip the ball through to Lee Mason, who put the ball under their keeper towards goal, but their No. 6 Ben Dale got back in the nick of time to slide and clear the ball off the line.
It wasn’t until the 32nd minute that North Shields would eventually break the deadlock. Once again, playing in that direct style, Cal Elliot lumped the ball up to Stephen Hall from a goal kick. He told me he didn’t mean to do it in the interview after, but he flicked the ball onto Jordan Lashley, who looked up at the keeper and lifted the ball over him into the far left corner.
A goal from nothing in three touches, you could feel the tension from the West Auckland players. They came roaring out in the minutes that followed, relentlessly assaulting Shields’ defensive wall. Cross after cross, shot after shot, the Robins absorbed the mounting pressure, but nearly got caught out on the stroke of half-time. West Auckland danger man Cobi Jones had the ball in the Robins’ box, Tom Bexton answered with a game-defining block, to turn the tide in his team’s favour. He didn’t put a foot wrong all day, Tom Bexton. It’s a shame his work commitments keep him from playing every week!
In the second half, it ended up being more of the same. West Auckland once again piled on the pressure, but Brian Smith’s men were perfectly using their clearances to mount counter attacks. The Robins often found themselves in 3v2 or 4v3 situations, but couldn’t find that final ball for the next few minutes of the game.
Shields doubled their advantage in the 52nd minute. Wanless picks up the ball from a clearance and the Robins are flying up in numbers. He laid it off to Lee Mason, who drove the ball up the middle of the pitch, before picking out the on-form Stephen Hall, who poked the ball under the keeper to make it 2-0.
Tensions finally spilled over in the 54th minute. West Auckland boss Gareth Young was whining to the referee all game; his favourite insult seemed to be asking the ref if he wanted to ‘join in’ at any point. Since I was sitting a few rows behind him, it grated on me having to put up with his antics, never mind being stood five meters away from him. For that, I commend Brian and Bowman. 18-year-old Adam Doyle was fouled by Craig Moody in front of both dugouts. Then, in a moment of cowardice, Mr Moody lived up to his name and lashed out, standing on the head of Doyle and inciting a riot from the Shields bench. Robins’ coach Sean McCafferty was sent off by the referee, but honestly, being sent on the other side of the wall for the rest of the game didn’t really seem like a punishment worth a red card. Craig Moody however, only got away with a yellow.
Bowman said in the interview we did after the game that emotions got the best of the staff that time. They feel a sense of responsibility for Doyle, given his age and inexperience in adult football; it was obvious that anything against him would spark a reaction. Bowsa summed it up perfectly; it wasn’t about what had happened, but who it happened to.
Then, after a few subs from both teams, the Robins added a third to their lead with ten minutes left to go. Sampson and Doyle combined to win the ball back from a West throw-in. Sampson sends the ball down the line for Stephen Hall to chase. The ball looked like it was going out for a goal kick, but Hall slid at the ball and powered it toward the goal. Their goalkeeper spilled it to Regan Patterson at the far post, who volleyed the ball in over the trailing leg of his marker.
West Auckland did get one back before the end of the game. After making two brilliant saves, Elliot and his defence couldn’t get rid of the ball. The ball got stuck in the six-yard box, and a game of pinball ensued. Substitute Alfie Steel made the last touch, taking away the Robins’ clean sheet and the finishing touches of a great day in DL9.
