South Shields boss hails 'walking wounded' after Needham Market win
There was a narrow win for South Shields as they saw off National League North strugglers Needham Market at the 1st Cloud Arena.
Elliott Dickman hailed his patched-up South Shields squad for battling to a 1-0 win against Needham Market - but stressed an improved performance will be required if they are to build on a hard-earned three points.
Several members of the Mariners squad succumbed to a sickness bug throughout the week and a number of other players were carrying knocks and played a limited part in training in the days prior to the game. However, with a makeshift defence and several players struggling to reach full fitness, Dickman’s side claimed a narrow victory thanks to a first-half goal from top goalscorer Paul Blackett.
The former Gateshead and Spennymoor Town striker had already gone close with two chances inside the opening quarter of an hour by the time he fired his side in front as the half-hour approached at the 1st Cloud Arena. The goal owed much to lackadaisical defending and a stunning pass from Martin Smith as his driven through-ball allowed Blackett to race in on goal before coolly stroking the ball beyond visitors goalkeeper Marcus Garnham and inside his near post.
In a half of few chances, the closest the Marketmen came to grabbing an equaliser came in injury-time when Reggie Lambe curled a shot narrowly beyond the far post just seconds before the break. The second-half followed a similar pattern as neither side could find any rhythm - although the introduction of Mariners substitute Kyle Crossley did instil some energy into his side.
The former Newcastle United academy forward send a shot just past the near post just minutes after replacing goalscorer Blackett before somehow striking the crossbar from point-blank range after getting on the end of a cross from Dylan Stephenson. That mishap was almost punished in injury-time when visitors midfielder Jamie McGrath broke clear of the home defence and dinked the ball over the advancing Myles Boney. However, the ball dropped past the post and ensured the depleted Mariners kept a clean sheet and earned the points their manager felt they deserved for a spirited display in difficult circurmstances.
He told The Gazette: “The pleasing thing is we got three points and we’ve had a tough week with some walking wounded to be honest. A lot of lads have played when in an ideal situation they wouldn’t have played. Some of the lads have not trained and we are asking them to perform and that’s never easy at any level when you’re under the weather.
“I’m chuffed to bits we have stuck together, kept a clean sheet, got the win, dug in and competed. We showed the character that I know these men have and performance-wise, it has to be better and hopefully we can put that side right on Tuesday (against Alfreton Town).”
South Shields: Boney, Hughes (Myers-Smith), Briggs, Shepherd, Heaney, Smith, Carson, Jenkins, Mee (Ward), Blackett (Crossley), Stephenson (McGowan) Subs: Seymour
Needham Market: Garnham, Smith, Hammond, K Morphew, D Morphew (Chambers), Lay, Allen (Collis), McGrath, Hunter, Lambe, J Allen Subs: Blunkell, Ingram, Wood
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