A brace from Gary Day, plus goals from Jack Donnison, Jack Cooper and Paul Robinson saw the Robins to an emphatic 5-1 friendly victory over an impressive Newcastle Blue Star side.
Two goals from Day, plus one for the visitors, gave the Robins a narrow lead heading into half time.
Fullback Donnison extended the Robin’s lead midway through the second period after a flowing midfield move.
And with Blue Star pressing hard to get back into the game, Cooper and Robinson were on hand to seal the victory late on.
On the back of Saturday’s defeat to Dunston UTS, the Robins began brightly, with Sean McRoberts’ shot from the edge of the penalty area testing the visiting keeper.
As the wind picked up, the hosts began to turn up the pressure and in the 12th minute, fine defending from the Northern Football Alliance Premier side denied both Donnison and Robinson from getting on the scoresheet.
The returning Ryan Carr was next in line to come close to striking the back of the net when, in the 19th minute, the Robin’s top goalscorer narrowly missed on heading a beautiful McRoberts cross into the top corner.
Weather conditions were beginning to worsen but that didn’t stop the hosts as in the 26th minute, great work from Craig Spooner saw the young midfielder whip a dangerous low cross into the penalty area. Despite the keeper fumbling the ball, the Blue Star defence was on hand to make the clearance.
It was a matter of time until the Robins broke the deadlock and in the 33rd minute, Day did just that. Picking the ball up just outside of the penalty area, the Robins striker fired a looping shot over the visiting keeper and into the back of the net.
This goal seemed to spur the Robins forward on and only four minutes later, Day weaved his way through a sea of Blue Star legs before delicately finishing the ball into the bottom corner of the net from inside the area.
The two goal lead didn’t last very long as moments later, after stealing the ball on the wing, the Blue Star forward was in the right place at the right time to pass the ball into an empty net, following a pin-point cross.
With both teams putting on a good show, it was the hosts who really should have added to their tally before the half time break. In search of his hattrick, Day once again found enough space in the box to try his luck at goal, however, a Blue Star defender was on hand to clear the ball off the line.
The second half started off just as the first half had ended; with plenty of good football on show from both teams.
However, it was the Robins who struck first when, in the 57th minute, some flowing play between Robinson and Carr released Donnison into the box, with the fullback comfortably finishing past the onrushing keeper.
Despite restoring the two goal lead, the Robins kept pushing forwards in search of more. In the 59th minute, substitute Jack Cooper, who had come on for the returning Mark McManus at half time, had a ferocious shot which needed parrying to safety by the keeper.
As the game entered the 60th minute, Blue Star began to pressurize the Robins defence, with the number 10 plowing forwards before firing the ball just over the crossbar from the edge of the area.
Five minutes later and the visitors should really have scored their second goal of the game when the number 19 blazed the ball over the goal from the edge of the six-yard box.
Blue Star were playing well but in the 80th minute, the hosts put the game to bed once and for all. Having brought the ball forward to just outside the penalty area, Robinson smashed his shot against the underside of the crossbar; with the ball bouncing over the line and beyond the keepers outstretched arm.
The rain was starting get heavier as the game drew to it’s close, however, there was still enough time for one final goal. From a very tight angle inside the penalty area, Cooper fired a shot at goal in the 83rd minute which seemed to deflect off the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Final Score: North Shields 5 Newcastle Blue Star 1
Referee: David Pill
Attendance: 60
North Shields Starting Eleven: Greg Purvis, Jack Donnison, Chris McDonald, Gary Ormston, Mark McManus, Kevin Hughes (c), Sean McRoberts, Craig Spooner, Gary Day, Ryan Carr, Paul Robinson
Yellow Cards: N/A
Used Substitutes: Jack Cooper, Marcus Giles, Tom Hizzett
Unused Substitutes: Callum Johnston, David Hall, Michael Robinson
