South Shields FC ready for new season after passing Dagenham and Redbridge test
South Shields rounded off their pre-season campaign with a narrow home win against National League South club Dagenham and Redbridge.
Mike Williamson admitted he is ready for the new National League North season after South Shields edged out Dagenham and Redbridge in a testimonial for Mariners stalwart Dillon Morse.
Both sides are expected to challenge for promotion in their respective Step 2 divisions during the new campaign - and it was the hosts that ended their pre-season campaign on a positive as former Middlesbrough forward Sonny Finch got the only goal of the game. There was little to enthuse over during a low-key opening 45 minutes - and in truth, Finch’s incisive run and cool finish just before the hour-mark was a rare moment of quality across the entire game.
The Mariners focus will now go on next weekend’s league opener at Scarborough Athletic - and Williamson is relieved the competitive action is set to get underway after a summer of change on and off the pitch.
He told The: “I have enjoyed it because we got good work into the boys and today was a really good test. We came under some pressure but we saw it out. I was getting a little bit frustrated in the first-half because we need to move the ball quicker and speed up moments and I just thought, especially when the ball went out, we just weren’t at it. We got the breakthrough but our quality was lacking a little bit. We can now focus on Scarborough and the excitement that will bring. You can’t replicate the competitive stuff, no matter how hard you try - so we will look forward to next weekend.”
Possible
Williamson’s men came up against a Daggers side containing a familiar face as the Mariners head coach’s former Newcastle United team-mate Andy Carroll led the line for the visitors. The former England international’s physical presence and aerial ability provoke a stern test for the Mariners backline and they coped reasonably well with his threat - although there was a late concern when Carroll met a cross from the right before heading over Jasper Sheik’s crossbar. Williamson praised his former team-mate and was pleased to see his defence come up against Carroll so close to the start of the season.
He said: “Andy spoke very highly of us after the game. You just have to try and keep him as far away from the goal as possible because he’s such a threat in the air and it was a good test for our boys to come up against someone like him. When he got up and got on the end of that set-piece in the second-half, there was just nothing you can do about it sometimes. I’ve been there and you just have to hope he has an off day when he gets on the end of something like that.”
South Shields: Sheik, Tinkler, Morse, Sykes, Mann, Leshabela, Onanaye, Scott, McGurk, Blackett, Chibueze Subs: Trialist, Wright, Jordan, O’Connor, Robinson, Roles, Kelly, Ashford, Savage, Finch
Dagenham and Redbridge: Ashmore, Adenola, Graham, Hawkiss, Vincent, Dieng, Harrack, Clayden, Tampen, Beautyman, Carroll Subs: Marsh, Dyer, Rodari, Crichlow, Coppin, Thomas, Addae, Leech, Trialist, Addae
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