South Shields FC came from behind to secure a 3-1 home win over play-off rivals Chester on Saturday afternoon.
After a month away from Wolf Competitions Stadium, Mike Williamson’s side were looking to bounce back from successive National League North defeats and an FA Cup exit.
Cedwyn Scott and Toby Onanaye were Shields’ two scorers in the 3-2 defeat at Halifax Town last time out in the cup. And the pair were on the scoresheet once again, only this time they weren’t consolation strikes as they saw Shields come from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 before substitute Caden Kelly added a third late on.
It wasn’t the ideal start for the Mariners in their first home match in four weeks with Chester taking the lead through Billy Waters’ powerful tight-angled effort with 21 minutes on the clock.
Shields needed a response and got one seven minutes later through Scott, who slid home a loose ball inside the penalty area to make it 1-1 before the half-hour mark. The goal gave Shields confidence to push for a second but the scoreline remained the same as the sides went in at half-time.
Chester regained some control early in the second half but it was Shields who scored their second goal of the game to complete the turnaround. Onanaye arrived on the edge of the box with a tidy finish into the middle of the goal to make it 2-1 just after the hour mark.
Substitute Caden Kelly then pounced to make it 3-1 in the closing stages and put the game to bed. The win sees Shields move three points clear of Chester to strengthen their grip on the play-off places with 12 games played.
Here are our South Shields player ratings from the match (photos courtesy of Kev Wilson/South Shields FC)...
1. Jasper Sheik - 6
Called into action for the first time on the 20-minute mark with a straightforward save from a tight angle. Then conceded from a similar position just over a minute later. Generally comfortable after that and rarely tested. | Kevin Wilson
2. Cain Sykes - 6
Had to make some important challenges against a tricky Chester attack. A couple of misplaced passes aside, it was a generally steady display from the full-back. | South Shields FC
3. Robbie Tinkler - 7
Carried the ball out well when needed. Kept the home side organised at the back despite taking a knock. | Kevin Wilson
4. Ethan Mann - 7
Turned into danger on the edge of his own box but got away with it early on. Took a few risks in difficult weather conditions but improved as the game wore on with some confident challenges.