South Shields 'set the bar' with battling home win against old foes Warrington Town

Elliott Dickman believes South Shields ‘set the bar’ for their performances going forwards in Tuesday night’s 2-1 home win against National League North rivals Warrington Town.

The Mariners went into the game after emerging pointless from their opening day defeat at Hereford and Saturday’s agonising late home loss against Curzon Ashton. After a slow start to the contest it was the visitors that edged in front on 19 minutes when Matthew McDonald scored a rebound after Josh Miles had crashed a rising shot off Myles Boney’s crossbar. The lead would be short-lived as Mariners midfielder Will Jenkins got his side back on level-terms with a neat turn and finish as the academy graduate made it two goals in as many games by making the most of determined approach play from Jid Okeke.

Parity remained in place until seven minutes into the second-half when on-loan Stockport County youngster Ashton Mee burst through midfield and was given time and space to get a shot away on the edge of the visitors area that crept beyond keeper Dan Atherton and inside his far post. That was enough to ensure Dickman’s side got their first win of the season and the Mariners manager wants more of the same from his players going forwards.

He told The Gazette: “Behind the scenes, we have full belief in the squad and full belief in the team but there have been moments in the three games where it just hasn’t gone our way a little bit. But tonight, I thought the reaction from the players was first-class and I thought their attitudes were brilliant. People within the league may think we are just a nice team that wants to play pretty football but I think we have proved tonight we can play football and we can compete when the going gets tough. We have set the bar on that and we have to do that every single game because that side of the game pleases me more than anything because we know the lads can play good football.”

Dickman enthused about the attitude and ability of his match-winner after on-loan Stockport County youngster Mee shrugged off the disappointment of missing out on a place in the starting eleven to rack up his first senior goal. The 18-year-old midfielder was brought on for the injured Dan Ward midway through the first half and produced a lively display that played no small part in helping his side get their first win of the season at the third attempt.

Dickman said: “He’s been excellent and we can’t thank Stockport County enough for what they done for us and we are helping them too. He’s been brilliant because he’s a really dedicated young man. He’s only of the first ones in everyday, he’s one of the last ones out, he goes above and beyond to do a hell of a lot to aid his own development and he has an old head on young shoulders. It wasn’t an easy decision to not start him tonight but we felt with the change in shape it was right. He was ready when he came on and he’s taken that change with a good goal.”

The Mariners are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they make the long trip to Oxford City.