Four goals from Jamie Clark capped off an impressive pre-season performance as Shields put eight past Wallsend Boys Club.
Two first half Clark strikes, either side of Craig Spooner’s brilliant freekick, gave the Robins a commanding half time lead.
New signing Andrew Cartwright added a fourth three minutes into his debut, before Clark added two more to the score.
And with only moments remaining, substitutes Jamie Norvell and Paul Van-Zandvliet both scored to give Shields the perfect start to pre-season.
In their first game back, since the 2019/20 campaign was brought to a premature end, Shields began well; probing the Wallsend defence but withouth making any breakthrough.
However, in the 27th minute, a superb ball from Spooner released Clark through on goal, leaving the youngster to dink his shot over the keeper and into the net.
Only two minutes later, the Robins’ lead was doubled after Spooner fired a terrific freekick, from outside the area, into the top corner of the net; leaving the keeper with no hope of stopping it.
All the attacking was being done by Shields now, with both Paul Robinson and Clark seeing efforts on goal denied by the ever-busy Wallsend shot-stopper.
But he was not able to prevent Clark picking up his second goal of the day, with minutes remaining in the half, as the midfielder’s low freekick found its place in the bottom corner of the net.
Marc Nash made three changes at the break, bringing Cartwright, Norvell and Matty Dopson on in place of Spooner, Callum Smith and Nick Cassidy, with one of them making an instant impact.
Marauding down the left-hand side, Cartwright charged into the penalty area, firing the ball across the face of goal and into the bottom corner of the Wallsend goal.
Shortly afterwards, Clark completed an impressive hattrick by firing past the outstretched keeper, following a mazey run and pass from substitute Cam Cunningham.
The Wallsend goal was being peppered by Shields attempts, with Robinson’s effort flying narrowly wide and Norvell striking the post with a powerfully taken shot.
And only minutes after the second half drinks break, Clark managed to score his fourth (and the Robins sixth) of the game by placing the ball perfectly into the bottom right corner.
With the Robins set to face Dunston UTS on Saturday, Nash used this game to blood a number of young players and it was one of them who notched the next goal for the Robins.
Norvell, who had come on at half time, reacted quickest to a deflected Robinson cross, before turning his man in the box and firing low into the bottom left corner.
And there was still time before the end of the game for Van-Zandvliet to get on the scoresheet with the Robins’ eighth, after Cunningham’s shot was spilled by the Wallsend keeper, leaving Van-Zandvliet plenty of space to finish on the angle.
Next up for the Robins is the trip to Northern Premier League Division One West side Dunston UTS, before the Robins face Northern Alliance side Seaton Delaval at Wheatridge Park a few days laters.
