Paul Robinson scored a last minute equaliser as the Robin’s fought back from goal down to triumph 5-3 on penalties and grab a place in the semi-finals of the Northumberland Senior Cup at the expense of Newcastle Benfield.
North Shields
started the brighter of the two sides but found themselves a goal down
two minutes before half time as Jake Orrell converted from close range.
Robinson
then broke Benfield hearts with almost the last kick of the game,
firing into the top corner from the edge of the area to force extra
time.
In the shootout, James Martin missed his
penalty for the hosts, and after two successful conversions, up stepped
the returning Gareth Bainbridge who fired the Robins into the semis.
Robins
boss Marc Nash made three changes to the side that beat Penrith with
captain Kev Hughes returning to the starting line-up and Bainbridge
making his Robins return from the bench.
It was
the visitors who started the stronger with Gary Day heading over from a
good position and Ryan Carr forcing a fine save from Adam Grainger
within the first 10 minutes.
But Benfield
themselves should have went ahead five minutes later as James Novak
headed a fantastic chance straight into the arms of Greg Purvis.
Both
sides however struggled to create anything clear cut until the 43rd
minute when the hosts went in front. Scott McCarthy saw his effort saved
by Purvis, but Orrell was quick to pounce on the rebound, taking a
touch past the Shields defence and slotting home.
The
Robins found themselves on the backfoot at the beginning of the second
half but Carr nearly equalised in the 67th minute as his header was
blocked on the line.
As the visitors poured
forward, Benfield sensed and opportunity to counter and Orrell went
close with a vicious effort that rattled the bar.
Then
barely a minute later Shields had Purvis to thank as he put his body on
the line to deny McCarthy with a fantastic block. The Shields stopper
had to receive lengthy treatment for a cut to the head and was replaced
by Michael Robinson.
The break in play seemed
to help the Robins refocus and they created numerous chances only to be
denied by some fantastic last ditch defending.
However,
their patience paid off as Paul Robinson popped up with the equaliser
in the 11th minute of added time. He turned and twisted on the edge of
the area leaving the Benfield defence for dead before finding the top
corner with a fantastic strike.
The equaliser
seemed to knock the stuffing out the hosts as the Robins controlled a
largely uneventful extra time, but Benfield nearly snatched the win two
minutes before the whistle but Michael Robinson did well to deny Dale
Pearson.
The shootout saw some high class
penalties from both sides only for Benfield to blink first to leave the
Robins celebrating a place in the semis.
Line ups:
Newcastle
Benfield: Andrew Grainger, Rhys Evans, James Martin, Mark Turnbull ©,
James Novak, Richard Slaughter, Jake Orrell, Reece Noble, Paul Brayson,
Scott McCarthy, Dale Pearson
Substitutes: Dean Holmes, Matthew Parker, Sol Bell, Danny Nimmins
North
Shields: Greg Purvis (Michael Robinson 80’), Jack Donnison, Jordan
Summerly, David Hall (Gareth Bainbridge 80’), Mark McManus, Kevin Hughes
©, Sean McRoberts, Craig Spooner, Gary Day (Callum Johnston 61’), Ryan
Carr, Paul Robinson
Unused substitutes: Josh Nearney, Gary Ormston
Referee: Paul Brown
Attendance: 179