South Shields hope to '˜put FA Cup loss right' in league opener at Consett

New South Shields keeper Chris Elliott settles in at Mariners Park

Consett have started the season with two victories – one in the FA Cup, one in the league – and thrashed Ashington 7-0 on Tuesday.

Shields, meanwhile, tasted defeat in their only match so far as they fell to a 3-1 reverse at Marske United on Saturday in the FA Cup.

Mariners right-back Barrie Smith feels they need to “put things right” at Belle View after letting a 1-0 lead slip last weekend.

He said: “We need to put things right from Saturday, and hopefully we’ll do that.

“We’ve got to bounce back.

“The second half performance at Marske wasn’t good enough, and we all know that. We’ve got a chance to put it right.

“Personally, it’s nice to play at Consett, because I coach one of their youth teams who my son plays for.

“I know a lot of the people there and I’m looking forward to the game.”

Smith was part of the South Shields reserves side which won 2-1 at Cleator Moor Celtic in the Wearside League on Wednesday.

Goalkeeper Joss Carmichael also played for Kevin Bolam’s team as they secured what was an impressive victory.

Both are in contention to start for the first team tomorrow, and coach Mark Scott is expecting a difficult encounter on the 3G surface.

He said: “We know what to expect from Consett.

“They’ve got some good players and I’m sure they’ll have aspirations of being at the top end of the league.

“It’s going to be another tough challenge for us, like every game.

“We know what the Northern League is like and that every game is a tough one.

“We’ve had a good week of training, which has been positive for us.

“Sometimes, it’s good to get another game in quickly after a defeat to bounce back, but I think at this stage it was more beneficial for us to get another training session in.”

Kick-off at Belle View, which has a post code of DH8 7BF, is at 3pm, with Shields hoping to welcome back Louis Storey after he missed the Marske game as he was on holiday.

Shields completed the signing of goalkeeper Chris Elliott last night.

The 24-year-old – formerly of Consett – played for the Mariners during pre-season, and has received international clearance ahead of tomorrow’s game.

Shields’ reserves, meanwhile, face a tough trip to Redcar Athletic in the Alan Hood Charity Cup, with kick-off at 2pm.

Matthew Davidson scored both of their goals in Wednesday’s fine win.