Guisborough Town 2 North Shields 0 (19/01/2019) – Winning run ends as Guisborough claim all three points

The Robins winning run came to an end as they are beaten 2-0 by Guisborough Town in Baltic conditions.

The hosts took the lead early in the first half through Mark Robinson from the penalty spot after referee adjudged a Shields defender had held his man in the box.

They then doubled their lead mid-way through the second period when Mason McNeill curled an effort from distance in the back of the net.

And despite all their effort, the Robins were unable to break through a stubborn Guisborough defence.

The Robins started out on the front foot and after only four minutes, Paul Robinson broke free down the wing, only for his cross to be smartly dealt with by the home shot-stopper.

Two minutes later, the ball seemed to sit up perfectly for Craig Spooner to have a volleyed effort on goal, however, a deflection off the back of a Guisborough defender meant the ball spun behind for a corner.

It took a further two minutes before the hosts made their presence felt on the game when McNeill almost capitalised on a short back pass. Thankfully, the striker’s shot from the angle was fired into the side netting.

Guisborough were starting to take control of the game and if not for a close-range block from Purvis, Daniel Earl would have had an excellent chance of giving his side the lead.

He was not made to regret this miss as in the 14th minute, the hosts were awarded a penalty after the referee seemed to spot an incident inside the box. Robinson was the man who stepped up to take the penalty and despite Purvis diving the right way, his effort was too strong.

The hosts were starting to enjoy a large spell in possession of the ball, leaving the Robins frustrated in the process. In the 25th minute, Bradley Mills tried his luck on the Shields goal, only for Purvis to pull off another good save.

Pressure was beginning to mount of the Robins defence with wave after wave of attack forcing them further back. In the 27th minute, an excellent sliding block from Mark McManus, who had made his move to the Robins permanent before the game, denied Paul Young what would have been a shot on goal at the very least.

It took a little time for the Robins to find their feet again and in the 33rd minute, both Gary Day and Craig Spooner forced excellent defensive blocks out of the Guisborough back line to deny what looked like certain equalisers.

The Robins were really pushing for an equalising goal before the half time break, with successive corners in the 40th minute coming to nothing. However, the hosts were able to hold out until the referee blew his whistle.

Whatever Marc had said to his team at the break seemed to have the desired effect as after a strong opening to the second half, McManus rose highest from a corner to direct the ball agonizingly over the crossbar.

However, the hosts managed to withstand the early pressure and were even able to add the second goal of the game. After a quickly taken freekick which seemed to catch the Robins out, McNeill collected the ball from around 25-yards out before unleashing a ferocious shot which beat Purvis.

Try as they might, nothing seemed to be coming off for the Robins as the hosts began to take a little edge out of the game.

In the 68th minute, Robinson almost added a third when he nipped in front of his marker at the near post, only to divert the ball the wrong side of the post.

As the game entered the 70th minute, Marc and the bench were encouraging the Robins forward and it almost paid off when McRoberts’ deeply swung corner almost met the head of an attacker. Unfortunately, the keeper came quickly off his line to claim the ball and maintain his clean sheet.

The Robins had one final chance to get themselves onto the scoresheet when Day beat his marker on the edge of the box before firing a shot at goal, however, he didn’t connect sweetly with the ball and the shot sailed wide.

Final Score: Guisborough Town 2 North Shields 0

Attendance: 128

Referee: Mark Ryan

Guisborough Town Starting Eleven: Jordan Nixon ©, Anthony Snook, Bradley Mills, Lee Bythway, Charlie Marshall, Nathan Guru, Brian Close, Mark Robinson, Daniel Earl (Lewis Wood 89), Mason McNeill (Steven Roberts 72), Paul Young (Matthew Crust 76)

Yellow Cards: Daniel Earl 38, Brian Close 70, Bradley Mills 88

Unused Substitutes: Matthew Lovatt, Anthony Hume

North Shields Starting Eleven: Greg Purvis, Jack Donnison (Gary Ormston 74), Jordan Summerly, David Hall (Callum Johnston 57), Mark McManus, Kevin Hughes ©, Sean McRoberts, Craig Spooner, Gary Day, Ryan Carr, Paul Robinson (Jack Cooper 74)

Yellow Cards: Callum Johnston 59, Mark McManus 62, Jordan Summerly 70

Unused Substitutes: Cam Cunningham, Josh Nearney