Mark Carruthers: Cautious optimism for Hebburn Town FC and South Shields FC

The sun was shining, the sky was blue and everything felt right on a historic day for Hebburn Town FC.

From the moment I turned up at the Trustmark Group Stadium around two hours before kick-off in their first ever National League North fixture with Southport, there was clear evidence everyone was ready to seize the moment. From stewards running through their final checks and coaches welcoming players to volunteers working hard to piece together the final preparations, everything felt right.

Of course, what really mattered was the performance and result on the pitch and Daniel Moore’s men did their bit as goals from Matty Cornish, Jake Charles and Josh Donaldson provided maximum reward for a surprisingly accomplished display in a 3-1 win. The biggest compliment you can pay Moore, his players and the Hornets coaching staff is that they all looked at home and at ease at a higher level - and that is no small achievement after a summer that had brought some big departures from their playing squad.

Nobody will need to be told of the challenges that still lie in wait and they will face few bigger than Saturday’s first away day of the season as they travel to take on a Brackley Town side that spent last season in the National League. No matter how high you are and no matter how confident you feel, this division has a particular penchant for biting you on the backside and the unrelenting nature of the North Division means nothing for taken for granted.

Yet putting a more positive spin on the events of the last few days, Hebburn will travel with confidence and the solidity they showed in Saturday’s win will serve them well this weekend and throughout the season. The performances of on-loan Sunderland goalkeeper Isaac Allan and defensive quartet Aidan Heywood, Jack Donaghy, Matty Elsdon and Joe Oliver gave Moore even more reason to be enthused over what his side can achieve this season. The levels of communication, organisation and composure shown across the backline laid solid foundations for a historic win - and they will need to be replicated with regularity over the coming months.

High expectations

Speaking of solid defensive performances, South Shields FC certainly produced one on Saturday as they kicked off their own season with a clean sheet in a win at long-time foes Scarborough Athletic.

There are understandably high expectations over what could lie ahead for the Mariners after they narrowly missed out on promotion with a play-off final defeat against Kidderminster Harriers last season. Changes on and off the pitch have raised hopes of another promotion push - and that is why Saturday’s trip to the North Yorkshire coast provided Mike Williamson and his squad with a major banana skin.

Sonny Finch’s goal gave them what already feels like a massive three points - but the goalkeeping of Jasper Sheik, who made one particularly stunning save late on, and the never-say-die spirit of the players in front of him, played no small part in the win. Much like Hebburn, confidence can be taken from the win, but Chorley will also provide an awkward test in the first home fixture of Williamson’s reign.

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