Match Report
Saturday 22nd April 2023
Northern Premier League – East Division
North Shields 2-3 Worksop Town
Just like that the final game of the 2022/23 season was upon us as we welcomed league champions Worksop Town to the Daren Persson Stadium, making their way to the pitch via a guard of honour in recognition of their brilliant achievement and fully deserved league title win.
The weather not being the most pleasant made for difficult conditions for both sets of players as the rain continued from the first minute to the last and got heavier as the afternoon went on.
Our visitors were keen to show why they were league champions, looking to move the ball quickly and carve open opportunities from the get go. Their first chance fell to Tavonga Kuleya who fired an effort into the car park.
The Robins on the back foot, looked to break on the counter Dan Wilson made the first in road towards the Worksop Town goal, only to be penalized for a very soft foul.
Soaking up more pressure from the visitors, Larmouth played a defence splitting ball over the top into the path of Cunningham, but the wet surface played havoc for the playmaker, as the ball skipped away from him allowing Harvey Giles, the Tigers custodian to beat him to the ball and clear his lines.
With the game in the balance, both teams battling well in the middle of the park, in the wet conditions, the visitors started applying more pressure on the Robins goal in the search of the lead.
GOAL 22’ North Shields – Dan Wilson, 1-0
Some would say against the run of play, others would say classic counter attacking football, as the Robins took the lead, with the break on, the ball worked its way to Larmouth, bearing down on goal, saw his effort denied by Giles, the Tigers failed to clear their lines as Van Zandvliet forced a poor clearance to Wilson, who fired home into the top corner to give the Robins the lead.
GOAL 26’ North Shields – Callum Larmouth, 2-0
The Tigers unable to contain the Robins on the counter, another ball over the top unlocked the defence, Larmouth battling with Tigers captain Hamza Bencherif, was brought down inside the area giving the match official no other option but to award the penalty and produce a yellow for Bencherif, Larmouth picked himself up and send Giles the wrong way from the spot.
Two goals to the good and well worth it, the Robins knew they would need to continue battling and being at the top of their games, if they were to ensure that the lead was to stay intact.
The Tigers, two down, with their vocal support, turned the screw as the game approached half time, the Robins defence kept on its toes, poor finishing from the visitors let the Robins off, two goalmouth scrambles within a matter of minutes of each other, the ball cleared off the line.
Half time upon us, two goals up, the Robins the happier of the two sides, the Tigers with a bit of an uphill battle facing them in the second half, to turn things around.
The second half underway, with the Robins looking to put the game out of sight, an early attack forcing a corner for the Robins, of which nothing came of it.
The visitors, started to show signs of why they are the league champions, attacking with pace and looking to cause problems the Robins defence with intricate flowing moves as they looked for a way into the penalty.
Dan Wilson hit on the break, driving towards goal, his first effort blocked well before trying to square the ball to Liam Doyle inside the penalty area only to be denied by Giles’.
The Robins then took a massive blow, when Larmouth was forced off with a head injury and unable to continue.
GOAL 66’ Worksop Town – Liam Hardy, 2-1
The Ball given away cheaply in midfield, the Tigers broke down the right flank, Kuleya squaring the ball into the middle for Hardy to tap home from close range.
GOAL 68’ Worksop Town – Vaughan Redford, 2-2
A flowing move headed home by Redford to draw the Tigers level and completely turn the game on its head.
RED CARD 69’ North Shields – Cam Cunningham
In the build up to the equalizer, it appeared that a Worksop Town player kicked out at Cunningham off the ball, no decision given. In the aftermath of the equalizer, Cunningham questioned the assistant referee on the decision not to bring the incident to the referee’s attention and was handed a red card.
Within a matter of minutes, the Robins found themselves level and at a numerical disadvantage on the field. Most would expect a team who found themselves in this position to just roll over.
From the restart, the Robins went on the attack as the bad weather got heavier and a vast majority of the 410 in attendance went seeking cover. A good move working the ball to Van Zandvliet who rocketed an effort off the woodwork from outside, to the relief of Giles’, the ball rebounding back into play falling back to the feet of Van Zandvliet, who curled a second effort agonizingly over the top.
GOAL 82’ Worksop Town – Luke Hall, 2-3
Time running out and the visitors in full control, the Robins struggling to keep hold of the ball in midfield, the comeback was completed when Hall, spun and shot towards Aaron Steavens near post, the weather conditions gave the young lad a headache as the ball, slipped through his grasp to give the Tigers the lead.
A great game for the neutral, disappointing for the season to end with a defeat for Marc Nash’s men, who have battled throughout the campaign and with other results around the grounds yesterday, cemented a 7th place finish, which is a magnificent achievement for all involved from the players, the management team, the club officials and the magnificent supporters who followed week in week out around the country in the full voice.
After full-time the Pub & Kitchen MOM Award was presented to Jack Walker after another brilliant performance at the heart of the defence.
North Shields: Steavens, Forster, McDonald, Palmer, Oliver, Walker, Doyle, Van Zandvliet, Wilson, Cunningham, Larmouth.
Subs not used: Joisce, Paterson
Attendance: 410
