Third time was not the charm for our midweek cup tie away to Whitley Bay, and after being rescheduled for 8th April, we can look forward to the league match against Thornaby this Saturday.
This is also a rescheduled fixture, as the first time this game was played, the match official abandoned the game after 12 minutes. Thornaby keeper Harry Alderson collided with Stephen Hall in a 50/50 challenge, but got on the wrong side of the challenge and suffered a broken leg.
Thornaby’s last attempt at playing a game also ended in a postponement, after a serious injury to Shaun Ryder. Thornaby released a statement, it said:
“Shaun has remained in hospital since the incident on Saturday afternoon. We can confirm that Shaun has had to undergo surgery and is now recovering from that.”
“The club is offering Shaun and his family support and all of the kind words and thoughts shared by supporters of Thornaby and the football world have been hugely appreciated. Shaun Ryder has been a warrior throughout this entire process, as he has been all season for us, and we know he’ll come through this.”
This news saddens everyone at North Shields FC, and we wish Shaun the best and a speedy recovery.
They sit 15th in the table after a draw away to Boro Rangers, and judging by the fact Thornaby is ten points above the drop zone, they look to finish the season still in this league.
They’ll be looking to extend that gap as much as possible so that they can stay above the drop zone, but with the recent resignation of West Allotment Celtic, there’s one less relegation spot to worry about.
This information could work either for or against Brian Smith’s Robins, as we need to start beating lower-table sides to stay consistent and finish high at the end of the season. The only match Shields has lost in the last four weeks was against 16th-placed Crook Town.
Although the Robins have been playing more direct counter-attacking football in recent weeks, that was what they received against Crook Town. They tried to play with the ball, only to be blindsided by two identical long-ball goals in the early stages of the game.
A lot of lessons can be learned from that afternoon at home to Crook Town, such as the importance of picking your moments and burying your chances when you get them. Thornaby won’t be making the trip to NE29 just to be rolled over, so we need to take our chances early and kill the mood of our opposition.
This means we need your support more than ever, as the season comes to a close. Come down to the Daren Persson Stadium and support the lads while you still can, there aren’t many games left!
We hope to see you there on Saturday!
MATCH DETAILS
North Shields FC vs Thornaby FC
Saturday 28th March
Kick Off – 3pm
Venue – Daren Persson Stadium, Sikey’s Lane, North Shields, NE29 0SS
Concessions – £8/£5/£2
