MATCH REPORT: 5-Star Robins brush Bonnie Blues aside 

North Shields 5-0 Penrith AFC 

The game kicked off in a sun-showered Daren Persson stadium and it wasn’t long before the game came to life as in the seventh minute, a close-ranged strike from Brad Hird was blocked and sent out for a corner. 

Seven minutes later and Hird came close again, working himself a yard at the near post but the angle was just too tight, and his left footed strike hit the side netting. Another warning for the visitors. 

The 17th minute rolled around, and Adam Forster clipped an inch perfect lofted ball into Regan Paterson. One sublime touch and strike later, it was 1-0. A side-footed effort bent over and around Penrith goalkeeper Aaron Taylor left him rooted to the spot. 

Shortly after the goal in the 21st minute, Penrith man James Best broke beyond the Shields back line. Bearing down on goal however the ball was just beyond him, and Olly Marshall gathered easily. 

The game settled after the goal, with no notable action until the 41st minute when a Penrith midfielder struck a thunderous strike from all of 30 yards out. The strong palm of Marshall being all that prevented an equaliser. 

Just two minutes later however, an excellent clipped ball from Chris McDonald in the left channel found Paterson in the box, who helped it on into the Penrith net, doubling the Shields advantage. 

The third was added just minutes later, on the stroke of half-time with Cartwright delivering a corner that evaded every head in the box and landed straight in the net! 

Half Time North Shields 3-0 Penrith AFC 

The second half kicked off, and as the shadows lengthened so too did the odds of a Penrith comeback. Just four minutes into play, Cartwright and Hird combined excellently to put the latter in behind the Bonny Blue’s backline. A calm side-footed strike through the keeper’s legs and Hird had is first and Shields’ fourth. 

Marc Nash used two of his substitutions over a five-minute spell in the 57th and 62nd minutes, with Forster and David Robinson being replaced by David Palmer and Dan Turner respectively. 

Six minutes later and Penrith were beyond the home defence again, and Jamie Armstrong had the ball in the back of the Shields net. The goal, however, was chalked off as the linesman judged the forward to be offside. 

The 72nd minute saw Nash make his third and final change of the game, with Paterson making way for Callum Smith. 

It didn’t take long for Smith to get his first chance of the game. In the 80th minute a fantastic run from Hird down the left-hand side and an inch-perfect cross landed straight at the feet of the striker, who failed to get a decent connection and scuffed the strike straight into Taylors arms. 

Eight minutes later and it was five. Cam Cunningham finishing from close range after a saved effort from Callum Smith landed at his feet at the edge of the six-yard box. 

After just one minute of added time, the referee blew his whistle, and all three points stayed in North Tyneside, bringing Shields within just six points of league leaders Consett. 

Full Time North Shields 5-0 Penrith AFC 

North Shields XI: Marshall, Cartwright, Bexton, Walker, McDonald, Ormston, Forster, Cunningham, Hird, Robinson, Paterson 

SUBS: Smith, Turner, Palmer 

Penrith XI: Taylor, Faustino, Birch, Moynan, Howarth, Brown, Pilkington, Patrick, Davidson, Armstrong, Best 

SUBS: – N/A

Attendance: 352