After Ben Sampsons heroics last weekend, we’re back with a preview for tonight’s affair against Consett AFC, our first replay in this year’s FA Cup.
It’s the Robins’ 75th years in the FA Cup, so we’ll be looking to go as far as we can to commemorate the occasion.
After Shields midfielder Ben Sampson’s late strike cancelled out Isaac Walker’s fifth minute opener, we forced a replay and brought Consett back to the Daren Persson for a midweek game under the lights.
The match last weekend was actually Consett’s first official outing of the season. Although half of the teams in the Northern Premier League East have played (some twice), half haven’t, and Consett is one of them.
Isaac Walker is Consett’s danger man. He finished last season as their top goal scorer, netting 16 goals in all competitions. He helped them finish in 10th place, not quite enough for the playoffs, but nowhere near any kind of relegation threat.
They had a better form away from home last season, winning eight and drawing seven. This was better than their home form, however that was only because Consett lost 10 home games. They did match their away wins, but recorded significantly less draws at home.
Our Robins preview is short this time around, due to low media staff attendance. But at face value 1-1 away from home, against a team that’s in the league above, and doesn’t look like relegation fodder. That seems like great going for me, and I’d fancy our chances at the Daren Persson tonight.
Shields’ availability crisis seems to be calming down, and the return of last weekend’s goal scorer Ben Sampson is a sure sign of the improvement to come. Suddick, Blaney and Mason have put an absolute shift in to fill in for the out and out midfielders, and they even showed some dominance, especially at Northallerton and in the first half against Shildon.
That’s no easy feat, and it should be celebrated.
No matter what league they play in, or we play in, the magic of the FA Cup exists even in the preliminary rounds. You can never tell who is going to be the better team on the day, and it serves as a reminder of the spectacle and why we love the game so much.
We hope to see you there tonight, and…
HOWAY THE ROBINS!
MATCH DETAILS
North Shields FC vs Consett AFC
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round – Replay
Wednesday 12th August
Daren Persson Stadium, Silkey’s Lane, North Shields, NE29 0SS
Concessions: £8/£5/£2 (SEASON TICKETS ARE NOT VAILD FOR FA CUP FIXTURES)
