Shields are in gr-eight form
SOUTH Shields recorded their biggest Northern League win in almost 14 years when they thumped one-time English non-league football kings Bishop Auckland 8-1 on Saturday.
The result was all the more remarkable given that the Mariners played the last 70 minutes with 10 men after the dismissal of Richard Paxton.
It was Shields's sixth consecutive Northern League Division One victory, and their biggest since the 10-1 demolition of Norton & Stockton in December 1995.
They got off to a rapid start as they went a goal up inside the first minute of the game, Tony Coe finding Jonny Wightman in space, and David Graham was on hand to fire his far-post cross past the keeper from close range.
Shields then doubled their advantage two minutes later when Stephen Ramsey shrugged off the challenge of two defenders before firing past goalkeeper Peter Jeffries.
Bishops had no answer to the power and pace of the Shields side, and on seven minutes Shields extended their advantage, Wightman firing the ball into the corner of the net for 3-0.
It took the Bishop Auckland side 15 minutes to eventually fashion a chance through Wayne Gredziak, but Shields were reduced to 10 men five minutes later as defender Richard Paxton was shown a red card when he was judged to be the last man when he denied Gredziak a goalscoring opportunity.
Despite being a man down, Shields continued to dominate the game, and after a flowing move Craig Ellison fired over the bar from 15 yards.
The loss of Paxton forced Shields manager Gary Steadman into making an early change, with Wightman being the unlucky player, making way for defender Duncan O'Brien.
But with 10 minutes remaining in the first half Shields moved into a four-goal lead, Ramsey releasing Coe, who fired into the bottom left corner.
The second half started with Shields pressing forward from the start, Ellison having a shot charged down by the defence, and Ramsey seeing his header from 10 yards fly just over the bar.
The lead was increased on 50 minutes, however, as Ellison's cross was stepped over by Ramsey, and Craig Armstrong made no mistake from 15 yards.
From the restart Bishops forged forward as Joe Grant ran through with only Niki Lawson to beat, but he fired over the bar.
With 54 minutes on the clock Shields went six goals up. Ellison was fouled in the box and Lee Paul Scroggins stepped forward to take the penalty, crashing the ball into the roof of the net.
On the hour Shields made their final substitutions, with Ellison making way for David Meechan, and, after lengthy treatment, Simon Parkin replaced Lawson in goal.
Shields were in irrepressible form, and on 65 minutes Coe gave them a seven-goal advantage.
Within a minute of the restart, Bishops reduced the deficit, Gredziak capitalising on a rare defensive error to turn the ball into the net from close range.
Shields were denied an eighth goal on 75 minutes, with Jeffries making a superb save to deny Armstrong, while at the other end Gredziak was denied by Parkin.
Jeffries then denied Scroggins an eighth, but he could do nothing to stop Ramsey from converting Coe's cross late on.
In stoppage time Ramsey could have increased the margin of victory, but with two players on the line after he rounded Jeffries he fired his shot over the bar.
Shields are next in action at Filtrona in a friendly against Boldon CA tomorrow (7.30pm kick-off), with admission 1.
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Weather for South Shields
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
