The Robins came out second best against high-flying Bishop Auckland as the hosts ran out 5-1 winners.
After Christopher Winn gave the hosts an early lead, Ryan Carr’s towering header from a cross was enough to draw the Robins level.
Just a few moments later, Michael Hoganson’s thunderbolt gave Bishop the lead at the half time break.
The second half saw three goals within the space of eight minutes from the hosts, courtesy of Kyle Fryatt and Shaun Ryder; giving Bishop Auckland a commanding lead which they would manage to maintain all the way until the final whistle.
It was the visitors who started the game the brighter of the two teams and in the fourth minute, a brilliant cross from Sean McRoberts found Callum Johnston in a dangerous position, however, his attempt was cleared by the Bishop defence.
Despite the early signs, it was the hosts who broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when a beautifully weighted cross from Ryder met Winn at the far post; with the attackers diving header sending the ball past Greg Purvis.
Four minutes later and the Robins created another opportunity to score their first goal of the game and just like last time, McRoberts was at the heart of the move. The winger managed to wriggle past his marker before firing another beautiful ball into the box, only for a recovering defender to head the ball to safety.
The Robins were really beginning to turn the screw in search of an equaliser and in the 25th minute, Gary Ormston, who had been given a recall into the starting eleven for today, rose highest above his marker but could only head the ball over the crossbar.
Bishop were struggling to deal with the constant waves of pressure and were getting pushed back deeper and deeper. In the 32nd minute, Paul Robinson dribbled the ball past three or four defenders to get into the Bishop penalty area, however, instead of centering the ball, the experienced midfielder tried his luck at goal, only to see the ball cleared to safety.
It took 35 minutes for the Robins to score their deserved equalising goal when Carr rose highest above the home defence to send a thumping header past the keeper and into the far corner of the net.
However, almost immediately after this goal, the hosts managed to fire their way back in front when Hoganson collected the ball 25-yards out from the Robins goal before hammering a viscious shot past the outstretched Purvis.
With time running out in the first half, the Robins pressed forward in search of another levelling goal and in the 44th minute, Jordan Summerly’s impressive effort forced Bishop keeper Nicholas Liversedge into a spectacular save.
The hosts began the second half like their lives depended on it. In the 48th minute, substitute Andrew Johnson tried his luck on the Robins goal, however, his attempt curled wide of the upright.
Yet only one minute later, Bishop had their third goal of the game when Fryatt was given acres of space to charge towards the Robins goal; leaving the midfielder with a comfortable shot which beat the keeper.
The Robins looked rattled at having conceded a third and only four minutes later, things got even worse as Bishop managed to score a fourth. Substitute Johnston found Ryder at the back post; allowing the midfielder to effectively put the game to bed.
A fifth goal was soon to follow in the 56th minute when Ryder was the first to react to a loose ball before firing an exquisit looping volley over the head of Purvis and into the back of the net.
With the game all but over, the Robins admirably kept trying to reduce the hosts lead and in the 65th minute, substitute Bobby Taylor fired a close range shot well over the crossbar.
The Robins came within a whisker of adding a second goal to their tally in the 86th minute when Carr’s close range effort was brilliantly blocked by Liversedge before Jack Donnison’s header was collected on the line by the impressive keeper.
As the game entered the 90th minute, Summerly powered forward down the flank before firing a shot at the Bishop goal, however, once again, Liversedge was on hand to deal with the tricky effort.
And just before the final whistle blew, Craig Spooner, tried his luck from range, only to fire his effort a few inches wide of the right-hand post.
Final Score: Bishop Auckland 5 North Shields 1
Attendance: 227
Referee: Jonny Unwin
Bishop Auckland Starting Eleven: Nicholas Liversedge, Michael Hoganson, Callum Munro, Shaun Ryder, Kieran Galbraith, Lewis Gibbons (c), Kyle Fryatt (Morghan Claydon 75), Christopher Salmon (Ryan Robinson 73), Christopher Winn (Andrew Johnson 45), Jamie Marshall, Darren Richardson
Yellow Cards: Christopher Salmon, Kyle Fryatt, Callum Munro
Unused Substitutes: Kieren Procter, Kyle Patton
North Shields Starting Eleven: Greg Purvis, Jack Donnison, Jordan Summerly, Gary Ormston, Mark McManus, Kevin Hughes (c), Sean McRoberts (Gary Day 56), Craig Spooner, Callum Johnston (Bobby Taylor 63), Ryan Carr, Paul Robinson (Lewis McGeoch 56)
Yellow Cards: N/A
Unused Substitutes: Curtis Coppen, Adam Forster
