Match Preview: Whitby Town vs South Shields

Pre-season continues for the Mariners on Tuesday when they travel to the scene of last season's triumphant title celebrations.

South Shields are away at Whitby Town for a 7.45pm kick-off, having won two and lost two of their friendly fixtures so far.

It promises to be a test of Shields' credentials, with Whitby adding players including forward Junior Mondal to their squad in the lead-up to their Pitching In Northern Premier League campaign.

The Towbar Express Stadium at The Turnbull Ground was the location Shields sealed the NPL title last season, with Tom Broadbent's first half header enough to secure a 1-0 win and spark joyous scenes.

It is now the venue for the Mariners' final away pre-season match ahead of their debut campaign in Vanarama National League North, with home fixtures against Harrogate Town and Gateshead to follow.

Julio's thoughts

Shields manager Julio Arca was pleased with the improvements shown by his team in their 4-0 victory at Shildon on Saturday. He is seeking further progress by the seaside.

Arca said: "I think Whitby will be a tougher game for us and more competitive, so it's another important step for us.

"We'll be trying to play the game with the same intensity, although we might change a few players around as we continue our preparations.

"The players who played most of the minutes on Saturday had a recovery day on Monday, and we're well prepared for the game against Whitby."

On the development of his team, Arca added: "We're putting the ideas of how we want to play forward, and the players are taking them on board really well.

"There was some good link-up play on Saturday and we created lots of chances, which was promising to see.

"We have to continue in that way leading into the first game of the league season."

Team news

Arca will have to again do without a number of senior players in North Yorkshire.

Dillon Morse, Dylan Mottley-Henry, Mackenzie Heaney, Luke James and Michael Woods have all been ruled out through injury.

Information for supporters

Kick-off at The Towbar Express Stadium at The Turnbull Ground is at 7.45pm and the post code of the ground is YO21 3HZ.

Tickets can be secured in advance by clicking here, with Whitby encouraging purchasing them in advance due to the potential for large queues at the turnstiles. Digital tickets can be scanned from mobile phones or printed off to be scanned upon entry.

Admission is priced at £6 for adults, £4 for concessions and £2 for under-18s.

Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved.