Brian Smith’s men were back on the road on a cold night in Easington Village, at Welfare Park, against a playoff-chasing Easington Colliery. Before the whistle, it seemed like a bleak occasion, caused by some unruly bollards and upset supporters. It was one that you’d surely bet would end as a nil-nil. However, when the game kicked off, the mood around the ground was a totally different story.
For the first 20 minutes, not much could be said between the two teams, apart from a few half-chances shared between them. It was on that 20-minute mark that the deadlock was broken, as Jordan Lashley received a long ball and used his dribbling ability to spin around a chasing midfielder. He then charged through the middle of the Easington defence with confidence and skill, and poked the ball past the rushing goalkeeper Hopkinson, into the bottom left corner. It was the catalyst that blew the game wide open.
Lashley was unplayable on the day; he did what he does best, controlling the ball and having a run at the opposition defence. Cutting inside to create chances, and in that case, finish them himself.
The Robins nearly added a second before half-time, when Lashley sent a ball out wide to Lee Mason, who crossed low to Ben Sampson in the box, but the contact was mistimed. The ball floated over the goalkeeper before hitting the crossbar and out of play for a goal kick.
One thing that stood out in this first half was the Robins’ coordinated pressing. Using their defensive shape, Shields would trigger a press every time the ball was passed out from the back. Sampson, Mason, Dean and Jamie Holmes would spring out to get close to the receiver, which forced the long ball. Centre back duo Dan Cherry and Euan Anderson were immense in the air, winning every header to start a Shields counterattack. It was a lesson in tactics that Brian Smith should be proud of.
In the second half, Shields added a second to their lead. Once again, Jordan Lashley went on a mazy run. He cut inside from the right wing and lost control of the ball. The Easington defence failed to deal with the loose ball, and it ended up in the box at the feet of Jamie Holmes, who was swiped down by the Easington fullback. Lee Mason stepped up to convert from the spot. The keeper dove the right way, but couldn’t get a hand to it as Mason’s penalty nestled in the bottom left corner.
Ten minutes later, it was the start of problems for the Robins. Lewis Suddick received a harsh yellow card from referee Daniel Forbes for an eager challenge on Liam Adamson. Adamson was a bright spark for our opponents on the night, having moments where he caused a threat on that left-hand side.
Adamson got his reward in the 62nd minute. He found space behind the Robins’ defence, where he received a high pass, cutting inside of Euan Anderson, before shooting back across goal to wrongfoot Callum Elliot. Suddenly, Easington were back in the game.
Shields regained their two-goal lead in the 71st minute, when Lewis Suddick whipped in a pacy cross, which was again not dealt with by the Easington defence. The ball fell to Lee Mason on the edge of the box, who had time to take a touch and rifle the ball into the bottom right corner.
In perfect comedic timing, Mason was then subbed off for Jake Lish straight after the celebrations, without the chance of getting his hat-trick.
When the game was thought to be wrapped up, the Robins were managing the game well in the last few minutes of play, before the ball went out for a Robins throw-in. Lewis Suddick goes to take the throw-in, and then, in a moment of madness, referee Daniel Forbes barely waits for play to continue before judging that the Shields right back was wasting time. Suddick is then given a second yellow and is forced to leave the field of play.
That incident mounted a late Easington comeback. Easington eventually broke through Shields’ defence in the fourth minute of stoppage time, when Dominic Agnew took advantage of a scramble in the box to poke home from close range.
The game then ended, and it felt like a relief for Brian Smith’s men, holding out with their lead after going down to ten men. The long walk back to the car, past the earlier-mentioned bollards, felt a lot sweeter as the rain started to fall.
North Shields are now up to seventh in the league table, and the chances of finishing in the playoff positions suddenly look a lot more achievable. Crook Town is next, and our Robins will be looking to make it three wins out of three, as it comes down to crunch time in the Ebac Northern League Division One.
