Our first friendly of the season ended in a 3-0 triumph over alliance side Percy Main Amateurs.
James Sloan, Darren Lough and Dan Wilson all featured in their first game after signing.
Wilson opened the scoring in remarkable fashion on his first appearence since re-signing, before Stephen Hall rounded the game off with a brace.
Pre season matches at this level have been known to feature professional players looking to improve their fitness going into the new season.
This tie saw ex Sunderland and Newport County man Michael Spellman start on the wing for the hosts. Giving robins debutant Darren Lough the role of marking the 23 year old in the first half.
However he wasn’t pushed through his paces too much, as we enjoyed the lion’s share of possession throughout the game. It took 15 minutes for the Robins to take the lead through Dan Wilson. The villagers tried to play out from the back before being caught in possession by Dean Holmes, Wilson soon received the ball out wide, and looked to have been trying to cross the ball into the middle, however the ball instead found its way in via the post.
Brian Smith will have been impressed with the build-up of the second goal, after Suddick intercepted a pass at the half way line, the ball was quickly shifted to Lee Mason, who spun round and threaded a long ball past the defence to Hall, who toe-poked the ball over the diving goalkeeper and in.
HALF-TIME: North Shields 2-0 Percy Main Amateurs
Eight changes were made in the second half, as the entire bench was substituted on.
Despite the changes, the style of the game remained the same as the robins continued to control possession.
Hall eventually grabbed his second when Sloan perfectly picked out a teammate, from the other side of the pitch, whose cross wizzed past the Villagers’ backline, giving Hall the space to score with a bicycle kick.
FULL-TIME North Shields 3-0 Percy Main Amateurs
SHIELDS XI: Eliott, Suddick, (Cuggy, 65′) Lough (Carter, 65′), Mason (Smith, 65′), Sloan (Anderson, 65), Cherry (Bexton, 65), Holmes, Forster (Simpson, 65′), Wilson (Potts, 65’), Lashley (Lish, 65’), Hall
