South Shields face double-header with Marske United in league and cup

South Shields face a double-header with Marske United this week as they aim to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
South ShieldsSouth Shields
South Shields

The Mariners travel to Marske’s Mount Pleasant in the league on Tuesday before hosting the same opponents in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The league meeting looks set to be an early test of both teams’ credentials, with third-placed Marske sitting two points behind table-topping Shields.

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The Seasiders have adapted well to life in the Northern Premier League after winning promotion via the play-offs last season, and Shields manager Kevin Phillips is expecting a difficult encounter in North Yorkshire.

Phillips said: “These are the games you look forward to.

“We’re top of the league but there are six teams just two points behind us, with Marske being one of them, so it will be a tough test for us.

“Every challenge we’ve come up against this season we’ve dealt with, and we’ve got to be the ones that go in with no pressure on us.

“Marske are the home team and it’s up to us to put them under pressure and play our football.”

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Shields recorded their third clean sheet in succession on Saturday, but were held to a 0-0 draw by Atherton Collieries in the league.

Phillips was pleased with the efforts of his players at 1st Cloud Arena and although he is aware of a need for improvement in attacking areas, he has backed the team to respond positively on Tuesday.

He added: “We would have liked to have won, but our defensive qualities were there for all to see and our record for goals conceded has been very good so far this season.

“We battled right to the end and when Myles Boney was called on, he did his job.

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“We can always play better, but we’re not going to roll every team over and win every match.

“The message to the players is that if we can’t win a game, we don’t lose it.

“I feel we would have lost that game last season, so we’ve made huge strides, and we know what we’re capable of.

“The players have responded well with a positive result on several occasions this season, and hopefully that will be the case again on Tuesday.”

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Shields remain without striker JJ Hooper as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, but Phillips expects to have an otherwise full-strength squad to choose from.

Kick-off at Mount Pleasant is at 7.45pm and admission prices are £11 for adults, £6 for those aged 65 and over, 16 to 18-year-olds and students, and £4 for under 16s.

Meanwhile, tickets are on sale for Saturday’s FA Cup fixture between the sides at 1st Cloud Arena, priced at £10 for adults, £6 for students and over-65s, and £4 for under-16s. They can be purchased now from www.southshieldsfc.co.uk, with supporters also able to pay for entry by cash or card at the turnstiles on matchday.