South Shields urged to complete the job as they stand on brink of promotion

South Shields are hoping for a night of celebration as they travel to Easington Colliery knowing a win will secure promotion.
South Shields captain Leepaul Scroggins has urged the team to win promotion 'for the town'. Image by Peter Talbot.South Shields captain Leepaul Scroggins has urged the team to win promotion 'for the town'. Image by Peter Talbot.
South Shields captain Leepaul Scroggins has urged the team to win promotion 'for the town'. Image by Peter Talbot.

However, the Mariners know they are in for a tough task tonight against an Easington side which won the reverse fixture 2-1 in September.

The sixth-placed team in Northern League Division Two have also not played since last Wednesday, while Shields were in action on Saturday and Tuesday, so the home side should go into the game with more freshness.

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Nevertheless, the incentive of promotion is there for the Mariners, which is driving the likes of captain Leepaul Scroggins on.

He says the team is motivated to do well for the town, which has backed the club in numbers this season.

Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Brandon United at Mariners Park was watched by a crowd of 660, taking the overall attendance at the ground since the club returned there last July beyond 20,000.

Four more victories would seal the league title for Shields, too, and Scroggins says that is their main aim as they look to give the fans something to celebrate.

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He said: “We’ve had a day’s rest since the Brandon game, and we’ll be ready for tonight. We’ve got a big enough squad, and we rested a couple of players on Tuesday, so we should be fresh enough.

“We know what we need to do, and there’s no bigger incentive than the prospect of winning promotion.

“If we do go up, I’m sure the fans will all want to come back again next season, especially with Sunderland and Newcastle performing the way they are.

“We want to do it for the town, and the town is behind us.

“It would be great to win the league for the supporters.”

On the task tonight, Scroggins added: “Easington are a typical Northern League Division Two team.

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“They’re big, strong and physical, and we know what to expect.

“It will be a good Northern League game with plenty of tackles going in, and we’ll have to be at our best after they turned us over at Mariners Park earlier in the season. It will definitely be a difficult game for us.”

David Foley and Robert Briggs missed out on Tuesday for Shields with slight knocks, but should be available tonight for the 7.30pm kick-off at Welfare Park.

The supporters’ coach to tonight’s game is full, but there are seats available for Saturday’s trip to Tow Law Town by calling 0191 454 7800.