A Callum Smith double capped off a five star Robins performance as they thumped Bishop Auckland 5-0 at Heritage Park.
After a goalless first half, Smith’s fine finish broke the deadlock early in the second period.
Kyle Patton’s spot kick ten minutes later helped to double the Robins lead, with Callum Munro being red-carded for the hosts.
A second strike from Smith, before an own goal from Bishops captain Michael Hoganson, handed the Robins a commanding 4-0 lead.
And with minutes left on the clock, substitute Cam Cunningham added a fifth to condemn the hosts to a heavy defeat.
Bishops almost got off to the perfect start when right after kick-off, Shields keeper Greg Purvis needed to be alert to save a well-struck effort from Kieron Parnaby.
But the Robins were immediately applying pressure up the other end, with Smith’s dangerous ball into the box in the fourth minute being headed to safety by Christopher Winn.
The Two Blues were not without chances of their own after Hoganson’s freekick whistled narrowly over the crossbar in the 14th minute.
Three minutes later, Shields came within a whisker of taking the lead when Chris McDonald’s long range shot was parried to the feet of Paul Van-Zandvliet, whose follow-up effort was cleared off the line by Winn.
Van-Zandvliet was having a strong start to the half and in the 25th minute, his powerful shot, from a deft Smith pass, forced home ‘keeper Nick Liversedge to parry the ball behind.
From the resulting corner, Nick Cassidy almost headed the Robins in front, but Winn once again was on hand to clear the effort off the line.
The 31st minute saw another chance falling the way of the visitors, this time through Paul Robinson, who saw his header from a Cassidy freekick well held by Liversedge.
Just before half time, Tom Aldsworth had a great chance to put the Two Blues in front, but his low effort was comfortably smothered by Purvis.
Bishops started the second half strongly and in the 49th minute, Purvis was on hand to save a Winn header, who had broken the Shields offside trap.
Once again, the Robins came close to taking the lead, this time through Smith whose effort from a tight angle in the 54th minute skipped across the face of goal.
But only moments later, Smith had his goal when he reacted quickest to a McDonald cross, directing the ball past Liversedge from the edge of the six yard box.
As the game entered the 62nd minute, Shields really should have doubled their advantage after Patton robbed Liversedge of the ball on the edge of his own area.
After rounding the stranded keeper, Patton fed the ball to Smith in the centre of the box, but after taking a touch, his goalbound effort was blocked on the line by Winn; his third goal line clearance of the game.
However, Shields were soon handed a golden opportunity for a second goal in the 67th minute, when Munro brought Patton down as he was racing through on goal, leaving the referee no choice but to award the penalty.
After handing the Bishops defender a second yellow card, Patton, who left the Two Blues to join Shields in the summer, stepped up to send Liversedge the wrong way.
Having the extra man was allowing the Robins more space as they pressed for a killer third goal, with Robinson’s driving shot in the 73rd minute forcing Liversedge into another good save.
Two minutes later and the visitors had a deserved third goal, when Shields captain Adam Forster threaded the needle to find Smith racing clear on goal.
After the former Dunston UTS attacker took one touch to round the ‘keeper, he calmly stroked the ball home into the bottom corner of the net.
Smith almost notched his first hattrick for the club with ten minutes left on the clock, but after being being fed through by Cunningham, his low effort was blocked by the legs of the Two Blues ‘keeper.
But things soon went from bad to worse for Bishops as only one minute later, Hoganson deflected a Robinson cross past his own ‘keeper to hand Shields a fourth goal.
The hosts were being hit with wave after wave of attack and in the 84th minute, substitute Connor Campbell tried his luck from range, only to slice the ball well wide of the goal.
Deep into added time, the visitors notched their fifth and final goal, with a deflected ball falling to Cunningham in the box, allowing the young winger to dink his shot into the bottom corner.
Final Score: Bishop Auckland 0 North Shields 5
Attendance: 238
Referee: Paul Cooper
Bishop Auckland Starting XI: Nick Liversedge, Ryan Robinson, Michael Hoganson (c), Darren Richardson (Jackson Waller 41), Christopher Winn, Callum Munro, Tom Aldsworth (Benjamin Chandler 77), Kyle Fryatt, Kieron Parnaby, Andrew Johnson (Billy Harland 77), Jamie Marshall
Yellow Cards: Kyle Fryatt (70)
Red Cards: Callum Munro (68)
Unused Substitutes: Regan Nixon, Kyle Morris
North Shields Starting XI: Greg Purvis, Nick Cassidy, Chris McDonald, Gary Ormston, Paul New, Rhys Williams, Paul Van-Zandvliet (Craig Spooner 69), Adam Forster (c) (Cam Cunningham 76), Kyle Patton (Connor Campbell 76), Paul Robinson, Callum Smith
Yellow Cards: N/A
Unused Substitutes: Wayne Buchanan, Ben Christensen
