Match Report: South Shields 1-0 Needham Market

South Shields got back to winning ways in a hard-fought encounter with 1-0 victory over Needham Market thanks to a first-half Paul Blackett goal.

In a game that simmered on the surface and threatened to get going throughout, but ultimately failed to do so, Shields started the better of the two sides with Blackett testing Needham Market goalkeeper, Marcus Garnham, from range with a fierce drive from twenty-five yards before the league’s top scorer volleyed over from twelve yards after being well found by lively midfielder, Ashton Mee.

Needham, who made the long trip up to the Northeast today, came into the game off the back of a 4-0 victory over Oxford City but struggled to contain the pace of Blackett and Dylan Stephenson in attack. However, they found themselves with an excellent opportunity to take the lead on the stroke of the twentieth minute. Iffy Allen found himself in space on the edge of the box and after, he had cut inside, had just Myles Boney to beat, but the Needham forward failed to show the composure necessary and curled an effort wide of the right corner.

As good sides do, on the twenty-fourth minute, the Mariners soon made the visitors pay for passing up on that chance, as Martin Smith picked out Blackett with a raking ball and the forward raced clear before sitting down Garnham and slotting the ball calmly into the bottom right corner to give the home side the lead.

As the first half moved towards the break, Shields failed to create further chances to double their advantage despite their superior possession. It was the visitors, in fact, who came closest at the end of the half when Reggie Lambe had Boney at full stretch in the Shields goal after his effort from the edge of the box, however thankfully for the Shields fans the ball flew wide of the goal and the hosts entered the halfway point ahead.

The second half offered little to shout about for both sets of supporters as both sides fought scrappily for the spoils. Kyle Crossley, replacing goal scorer, Blackett, midway into the second forty-five, came closest for Shields on two occasions as they looked to put the game beyond a stubborn Needham Market side.

An excellent break by eventual man of the match, David Carson, led to the ball falling at the feet of Crossley who shifted the ball onto his left foot before firing wide from just inside the area.

The second of his chances to put the game to bed was much more gilt-edged and came after Stephenson showed true tenacity to win the ball by the corner flag with seven minutes of normal time to play. He squared the ball unselfishly to Crossley whose close-range effort with the goal at his mercy could only ricochet off the crossbar and away from danger.

Elliott Dickman’s side were almost made to rue that missed chance just a minute later when Jamie McGrath pounced on a bouncing ball and beat Robert Briggs to it. His lobbed effort sailed over Boney before landing just wide as time in the 1st Cloud Arena stood still with Shields’ slender lead under severe threat.

Despite a flurry of late corners, Needham failed to create anymore openings late on and were forced to return to Norfolk with nothing, whilst Shields are back to winning ways after consecutive away defeats. They host Alfreton Town on Tuesday evening as they look to win two home games on the bounce.

South Shields: Boney, Hughes (Myers-Smith, 80), Briggs, Shepherd, Heaney, Smith, Mee (Ward, 73), Jenkins, Carson, Stephenson (McGowan 90), Blackett (Crossley, 60)

Unused Substitutes: Seymour

Goals: Blackett (24’)

Needham Market: Garnham, Smith, Hammon, Morphew (Chambers, 46), Morphew, Lay (Ingram, 63), Allen, McGrath, Hunter, Lambe, Allen (Collis, 61)

Unused Substitutes:  Blunkell, Wood

Attendance: 1670

Image Credit: Kev Wilson

(@KevWilson19)