On Wednesday night, the Robins extended their winning streak to four consecutive games with a 3-1 victory at home to Horden Community Welfare.
Most of the action took place in the first half, although the away side did pull one back in the second, just before torrential rainfall began to fall for the final half hour.
As has been the norm in recent games, Shields enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the first half, for the first fifteen minutes however, Horden did a good job at putting a stop to attacks before they could enter the final third.
But on twenty minutes, a rash challenge on Jordan Lashley meant the Robins had a penalty, which was brilliantly converted by the winger for his ninth goal of the season.
Dean Holmes then bagged his first goal since September with possibly one of our goals of the season, after a quick one-two with Lashley, the veteran set the ball up on his left foot before swerving the ball into the top right corner from just outside the box.
Hall almost got himself on the scoresheet but his effort was saved by Robert Dean. Soon after, another rare goalscorer in Blair Adams added further misery for Horden. After Hall knocked the ball into the middle of the box after an unassuming cross into the far post, Dean looked poised to make a simple save, but running from behind past his marker was Blair, who knocked the ball past the goalkeeper and into an empty net to give Shields a mighty three-goal advantage at half-time.
Half-Time: North Shields 3-0 Horden C.W
The second half began with a rather unexpected goal from Horden in the opening few minutes. A quick counter attack down the right side of the goal led to Philly Angus slotting home a tidy finish at the near-post. Some hope for the away side after a difficult first half.
Not long after, extreme rainfall and harsh winds took a lot of momentum out of the game, and both sides didn’t contribute much further in terms of goalmouth action.
A notable moment in the half was when a Robins cross was aided by the wind towards Dean Holmes in the box, who took a touch and fired goalwards, but Robert Dean stood firm to make a solid save.
The win puts the Robins just three points behind the play-off spots with three league games remaining this season.
SHIELDS XI: Elliott, Suddick, Adams, Ross (Forster, 61′), Cherry, Harmison, Sampson, Holmes (Ogbewe, 75′), Hall, Carr (C) (Mason, 70′), Lashley (Paterson, 75′)
