Saturday 10th August 2024
EBAC Northern League Division One
West Allotment Celtic 3 – 2 North Shields
‘Missed chances and mistakes costly’
With a brilliant performance in the bag on Wednesday, coming from behind late on to turn the game on its head and beat Penrith 3-2, Brian Smith’s side looked to build on the win against a side that had only picked up 1 point from their opening 3 games.
The game started as a fairly open contest with both teams looking to get a foothold in the game. Nick Cassidy swung in a freekick for the Robins only for Allotment’s Callum Elliot to have been judged in the process.
Lewis Suddick raced in at the back post, latching onto a Liam Marrs cross, only to see his effort blocked by the out rushing Elliot.
Moments later, the best chance of the game so far, fell to Suddick, good work down the left, Lee Mason squaring the ball to Suddick in the middle, who controls but can’t wrap his foot enough to steer his effort goal bound.
Third clear cut chance in as many minutes, fell to Suddick, who once again caused problems for the Allotment defense, beating his man before firing an effort on target, unable to find a way past Elliot.
GOAL NORTH SHIELDS 0-1 – DANNY ANDERSON ‘25
The continuous attacks and pressure finally saw the break through, a neat flowing move on the edge of the area, Anderson and Suddick linking up well with one-two to carve open the Allotment defense, nobody tracking the run of Anderson, saw him in acres of space inside the penalty area, allowing him to pick his spot and fire the Robins into the lead.
GOAL WEST ALLOTMENT CELTIC 1-1 – DAMEN MULLEN ‘26
Only able to hold the lead for a minute, the Robins were pegged back, punished for a mistake, possession given away cheaply on halfway, the experienced Mullen, spotting Hodgson off his line, clipping the ball from just inside the centre circle to draw the hosts level.
GOAL WEST ALLOTMENT CELTIC 2-1 – HARVEY WALSH ‘30
The wind causing havoc for the Robins, combined with sloppy play at the back, caused unnecessary pressure on the Robins defense and a cheap corner for the hosts, the ball played into the middle, headed off the crossbar, the Robins unable to clear their lines, the ball somehow works its way to Walsh, unmarked who taps it home.
Lee Mason looked to reply instantly for the Robins, the ball worked to him, his turn and shot, tipped around the post well by Elliot, unfortunately, this was the end of Mason’s afternoon as he picked up a knock in the process and couldn’t continue.
Jamie Holmes rattled an effort into the side netting on the stroke of half time in search of an equalizer before the break.
GOAL WEST ALLOTMENT CELTIC 3-1 – HARVEY WALSH ‘45
The Robins awarded a free kick on the edge of the Allotment box, the hosts able to clear their lines and hit the Robins on the counter, Liam Marrs was able to recover well and appear to win possession back, only for the ball fall into the path of Walsh, who added Allotment’s third before the break.
The break upon us and the Robins down at the break, punished by the hosts for a number of mistakes and chances missed, the hosts able to capitalize and make the Robins pay.
Ryan Carr with the first chance of the second half for the Robins, his effort blocked, denying the Robins from reducing the deficit.
A double change for the Robins saw Albe Fletcher and Lewis Henry take to the field in place of Liam Marrs and Nick Cassidy respectively.
Another good chance from the Robins, good work down the left, the ball swung into the middle to Carr, beaten to it by Elliot at the front post.
Another good move from the Robins, saw Holmes and Suddick link up well, Holmes dinking the ball over the top to Suddick, who saw his effort deflected for a corner.
Hodgson with quick thinking, played the ball long over the top, setting off Jamie Holmes through on goal, clearly shoved in the back, claims for a penalty turned away by the match official.
With 15 minutes left on the clock, another change for the Robins saw Dan Cherry replace Danny Anderson.
GOAL NORTH SHIELDS 3-2 – MORGAN DART ‘84
A good move down the right, Albe Fletcher crossing to Dart in the middle, taking a touch before firing an effort into the bottom corner, Elliot able to get a hand to it, but not enough to keep the effort out.
Pushing for a leveller with minutes left on the clock, the Robins had the ball in the back of the net, a ball through the middle, Morgan Dart latching on to it, before calmly slotting the ball home only to be denied by the offside flag.
Into stoppage time and a golden opportunity fell to the Robins to draw level, the ball finding its way through the Allotment defenders, who found themselves scrambling back, the ball falling to Dart, who hit his effort narrowly wide of the target, enough to have Elliot scrambling across his goal but not enough to nestle into the bottom corner.
The final whistle went succumbing the Robins to their first defeat in the league, a game in which they should have put to bed in the first half with a good number of chances created, only to be punished for costly mistakes at the back.
Brian Smith’s side will be looking to put things right on Tuesday night when the Robins travel to Tow Law Town with a 7.30pm kick off.
North Shields: Hodsgon, Cassidy, Marrs, Forster, Coppen, Nicholson, Suddick, D Anderson, Mason, Carr, J Holmes.
Subs: Fletcher, Henry, Dart, McCamley, Cherry.
Goal Scorers: Anderson ‘25, Dart ‘85.
Attendance: 174
Next Up: Tuesday (A) – Wednesday 13th August – KO 7.30pm
