South Shields want to repay fans faith with National League North play-off win and promotion

South Shields are determined to repay supporters for the faith and commitment they have shown this season by securing promotion into the National League.

That was the verdict of Mariners midfielder Will Jenkins as his side prepare for Saturday’s National League North play-off semi-final home tie with old foes Buxton (4pm kick-off). Ian Watson’s side have spent the vast majority of the season in a title race with AFC Fylde but came out second best to the Coasters after they claimed top spot with a 4-2 win at Merthyr Town on the final day of the regular season.

That left South Shields to prepare for their first ever step two play-off campaign and they will face former Northern Premier League title rivals Buxton after the Derbyshire outfit saw off Scarborough Athletic in an eliminator round game on Tuesday night. A big crowd is expected to be on hand for Saturday’s game at the 1st Cloud Arena - and academy graduate Jenkins has praised the ‘unbelievable’ support the Mariners have received in home and away games throughout a season of progression.

He told The Gazette: “I think the fans have been unbelievable and our crowds have gone up from last year - especially towards the end of the season. They’ve been incredible and we really want to give something back to them over the next two weeks. They have been there all season, they have spent their money following us around the country and giving up their time and we appreciate that so much. It’s really important that they are behind us in these really pressurised games and stick with us through the game and bad moments. We know they will be and we will be giving everything for them to try and make it happen.”

‘Right direction’

Despite the understandable disappointment and frustration at missing out on the title and automatic promotion into non-league’s top tier, finishing the regular season in second place in the National League North is no small achievement for South Shields. That represents the highest league position the Mariners have achieved since the club reformed in 1974 and showed outstanding progress from what was a difficult season last time out.

A challenging second half to last season brought a run of nine games without a win that culminated in a 4-1 defeat at Marine on the final day of the season and a seventeenth placed finish that fell well short of the ambitious targets put in place. The arrival of manager Ian Watson, assistant manager Carl Magnay and a number of eye-catching additions to their squad have triggered a major upturn in fortunes and have guided the club to within 180 minutes of a potential promotion into the National League.

Jenkins admitted the club was ‘in a bit of limbo’ 12 months ago but believes everyone involved at the 1st Cloud Arena is ‘pulling in the right direction’ as they look to make a final push towards promotion into step one.

He said: “For me personally, I’ve said this before, but to see the progression the club has made has been amazing and to be part of another promotion is the aim. I was out on loan for parts of the last promotion but I was still in and around the club so to be part of another would be fantastic for me. From the club side of things, we have gone from strength-to-strength and we just want to keep building and building on what has been created here.

“The back end of last season was tough and it felt like a real crossroads moment. Everyone was in a bit of limbo but this year everything has come together and we are moving in the right direction. You can feel the difference around the place and I’m sure people can sense that on matchday. There is a connection and we are all pulling in the right direction.”

Transformation

Jenkins has become an increasingly influential figure within the South Shields squad throughout Watson’s first season in charge of the club and has captained his side on a number of occasions throughout the campaign. The former Dunston UTS and Morpeth Town loan star has appeared in every single one of the Mariners league fixtures during the regular season - although he is being assessed ahead of Saturday’s game with Buxton after picking up an injury in the defeat at Kidderminster last weekend.

Watson has consistently lauded the midfielder’s impact on his side and believes he has lived up to the lofty billing he was given by several people in and around the club following his appointment as Mariners boss last summer. And Jenkins has revealed the respect is mutual after he praised the transformation Watson, Magnay and Mike Williamson have overseen over the last 10 months.

“Their style of play is really enjoyable and they’re just good people to have in charge of the club and they let us know where we stand,” he explained. “The intensity, the work-rate, the standards they have brought and the standards they demand of us, the way they are around the place every single day has led us to where we are now. We are second in the league and that is big steps forward from where we ended up last season. Last year we were nowhere near where we are right now and that just shows how far we have come and just how big an impact they have made during the season.”

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