South Shields will face Buxton in the National League North play-off semi-final on Saturday afternoon.

Paul Blackett believes South Shields have taken big strides forward this season - no matter what happens in Saturday’s National League North play-off semi-final tie with Buxton.

Just 12 months have passed since the Mariners ended last season on a low note after a nine-game run without a win left them in the bottom eight of the division when the full-time whistle was blown on a challenging season. However, the arrival of new management team Ian Watson and Carl Magnay and some shrewd additions in the transfer market kickstarted an upturn in fortunes that catapulted their side into the race for promotion into the National League.

There was some disappointment AFC Fylde’s win at Merthyr Town last Saturday afternoon allowed the Coasters to secure the title and left Blackett and his team-mates to contend with Saturday’s play-off showdown with a side they have not yet beaten this season. However, the Mariners striker has insisted genuine progress has been made throughout the season and he put that down to a more professional approach on and off the pitch.

He told The Gazette: “I think in terms of the club in itself, it seems a lot more professional. We’ve had to build on a lot of different things behind the scenes and the gaffer coming in with the detail he puts into training sessions and meetings, that comes back to the lads and you see on the pitch everyone knows their responsibilities and their jobs. From then results come from that.”

Mindset

Paul Blackett celebrates after scoring South Shields second goal in their 2-0 home win against Chorley (photo Kevin Wilson) | Kevin Wilson

placeholder image — Paul Blackett celebrates after scoring South Shields second goal in their 2-0 home win against Chorley (photo Kevin Wilson) | Kevin Wilson

Much has been made of how the Mariners will react to the disappointment of missing out on the league title last weekend and if they will be able to refocus their attention on their push for promotion via the lottery of the play-offs. Several conversations have been held between the club’s coaching staff and playing squad during training sessions this week - but Blackett has also revealed his team-mates held discussions amongst themselves and insisted they are still in ‘an unbelievable position’ to earn promotion into the National League.

He said: “We just have to keep the mindset of we haven’t failed anything yet. We are still in a really good position to get promoted. We had a chat with the players the other day and said we are in an unbelievable position, two home games away from promotion and to keep everything positive going into game and don’t think too much about the occasion, do what we’d normally do and focus on the task ahead of us.”

Watson impact

South Shields manager Ian Watson (photo Kevin Wilson) | Kevin Wilson

Blackett will lead the Mariners frontline once again on Saturday as he looks to continue what has been a stunning season in front of goal. Despite not finding the net in last weekend’s defeat at Kidderminster, the former Gateshead striker landed the National League North golden boot award once again after scoring 29 goals during the regular season. Blackett praised Mariners manager Watson for the impact he has made on his own game since he was appointed at the 1st Cloud Arena last summer.

“He has made my job pretty easy,” joked the striker. “It’s good that the goals I score are what we work on all of the time so it’s just about me being in those areas and the delivery being right. Then it’s about putting them away and that’s happened on a number of occasions this year.”

Your next South Shields read: South Shields must have 'no regrets' after National League North play-off clash with Buxton - Ian Watson