Month: August 2013

Shildon AFC v Penrith AFC: FA Cup

It was a disappointing day at the office today for the Railwaymen, who suffered a 0-2 home defeat at the hands of Penrith, which saw them dumped out of the FA Cup at the Preliminary Round stage.

Shildon suffered a double sucker punch on the stroke of the interval as Penrith scored with the only chances they had created in the half.

First Matthew Reid scored with a volley from the edge of the box, just a minute before the half time whistle, and then Steven Rigg thundered home a header with the last move of the first half.

Shildon failed to create any chances in the second half as Penrith played a textbook defensive game to, in the end, comfortably see the game out.

Dean Street prepares for FA Cup football

Dean Street is readying itself for FA Cup football on Saturday with Penrith the visitors for a Preliminary Round tie.

The draw for this and the following round were made together, so Shildon know that, should they prevail, they will face Lancashire opposition in the next round.

The winner of Padiham FC, who won promotion to the Northern Premier League Division One North last season, or their near neighbours and league rivals, Clitheroe FC will make the journey north.

Let’s make sure it’s to Dean Street, so come along and give your support to the Railwaymen as they look to progress in the world’s most FAmous Cup.

Admission for this FA Cup tie is £7 adult and £5 concessions. Under 12s, as always, are free with an accompanying adult. Kick off is at 3pm.

Spennymoor shine in Bank Holiday sun

A guest match report by Adam Amos

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Sadly on a bank holiday Monday at the Brewery Field it was only the weather that was glorious for Shildon, after being defeated 4-2 by Vase holders Spennymoor.

Shildon, attacking up the slope  first, lacked any real bite in the first forty-five minutes. Perhaps it was the heat, the early kick off (1pm) or the second game in two days for the depleted squad, but they certainly struggled to spark.

The hosts were not much better, but they were the ones that found themselves two-nil up at the break.  Having loud claims for a penalty waved away in the first five minutes, when the goalkeeper Lewis got fingertips to the ball before the onrushing Cogdon, it wasn’t long before the referee would point the spot.

Brackstone brought down Dodds in the six yard box as a cross was coming in. You had to feel for Lewis in the Shildon goal as not only did he expertly save the penalty but two rebounds as well – only to be beaten at the fourth attempt.

Spenny’s second came from 25 yards out on the right wing when Dodds put the ball in the top corner of the net. Whether or not it was a shot or cross is up for debate. The fact that he had too much time and space to do it, isn’t. The half fizzled out after that with Shildon’s only real threat being Scroggins who saw a couple of speculative long rangers go well wide.

Whatever Shildon had at half-time it was more than the majority of the crowd, who were left complaining about the lack of the usual Burger van (a mix-up with kick-off time apparently).

Nevertheless, whatever Gary Forrest had said to his men it obviously worked, as within ten seconds of the kick off, Billy Greulich-Smith got on the end of a couple of clever passes to run clear and score with a clever lob.

It was just what Shildon and the game needed and five minutes later the visitors were level with Ben Wood latched on to a great ball down the right channel to keep calm and fire across the ‘keeper and in off the post.

Shildon, first to everything, were a different side, and Spenny looked rattled.

The large away contingent were really getting behind their team, but the game changed in the 55th minute. Scroggins, who had been at the heart of the resurgence, went clear through and should have put the Railwaymen ahead, but failed to hit the target, or indeed the tin shed behind the goal.

This seemed to wake Moors and give them time to compose themselves. And sure enough, eight minutes later, a clever run and cross by Dodds on the right set up a tap in for Cogdon.

Shildon did not give up and battled hard, but when the ref failed to give a free kick that left a man down in the Spenny half, they saw an opportunity to go on the counter and wrap the game up in the 76th minute.

Shildon will be left kicking themselves. If the second half efforts had been matched in the first they may well have got something from the home of the favourites for the title. They will have to wait until the reverse fixture on Boxing Day to have another pop, when the weather may be a little different.

Shildon head to Brewery Field

The Railwaymen make the short trip to The Brewery Field this afternoon to face local rivals and FA Vase holders, Spennymoor Town for their second big derby match in three days.

The Bank Holiday weekend builds to a crescendo as Shildon take part in the headline fixture in the Northern League for the second match in a row, and they will be hoping to return home with a result in the bag after a depleted squad were unfortunate not to take all three points against West Auckland Town on Saturday.

Shildon will be boosted by the return of several first team picks after the squad was ravaged for Saturday’s match and will take confidence from the fact that the threadbare side so severely tested one of their main rivals for honours this season. Shildon expect to have Ben Christensen, Carl Jones, Lee Scroggins and Paul Buzzeo available for selection.

The side will be fully aware of Spennymoor’s slow start to the season and will be wary that the recent three-time league champions will be looking to use this fixture to kick-start their own campaign.

The match, which is one of the showcase games of the Northern League calendar, is expected to pull a sizeable audience. The tie will kick off at 1pm. Admittance is £6 for adults and £3 concessions.

Understrength Shildon hold West

Shildon’s bench for today’s home derby against West Auckland Town consisted entirely of its coaching staff: Keith Finch, who has ‘officially’ retired from goalkeeping duties to take up the role as coach to new number one stopper, Lewis Graham; first team coach, Phil Brumwell and assistant manager, Stuart Niven.

Mirroring last season, an injury crisis meant that the coach and assistant were forced to register as players in midweek to give this match any chance of taking place. Indeed, as late as lunchtime, there remained uncertainty about whether the match would go ahead with Shildon unsure if they could muster the required number of players.

Eventually a full starting compliment showed up, but Niven’s service were required in the second half, when he replaced debutant Adam Garrity after the new signing was thrown in at the deep end, having put pen to paper just hours earlier.

In the end, the makeshift side were unfortunate not to take all three points, having created several clear-cut chances while the back four shut out the visiting attack, Lewis Graham remaining untested virtually throughout.

The Railwaymen could have got off to a flier, but Billy Greulich-Smith, in only his second start, demonstrated his rustiness by missing the target from close range. Shortly afterwards Darren Richarsdon could also have given the home side the lead but squandered the effort.

Having survived the opening attack, the visitors responded with their own counter, putting the Railwaymen under the cosh for a sustained period, although they failed to test Graham in the Shildon goal. In fact, the closest effort in the remainder of the first half fell to the hosts when Billy Greulich-Smith narrowly failed to reach a driven cross by Garrity.

One would be forgiven for mistaking which was the weakened side in the second half as Shildon took control of the game while comfortably dealing with most of what West could throw at them.

However, a succession of Shildon chances went begging as first, Darren Richardson couldn’t redirect a Ben Wood cross onto the target and Wood’s backward header from a free kick also missed the target.

Then came two strong claims for a penalty, although most of the pleas, waved away by the referee, were from the stands.

Undoubtedly the best chance of the game fell to Greulich-Smith in the 68th minute but he inexplicably failed to convert Ben Wood’s cross in front of an open goal from three yards. The striker, a fan’s favourite who otherwise had an excellent game, put the missed opportunity down to rustiness. Although one would have been hard pressed to realise he lacked fitness as, in trademark fashion, he chased every loose ball.

Perhaps West’s best opportunity came in the 80th minute when a right wing cross was headed back across the box to Luke Carr, who blazed over from 12 yards.

Shildon were able to create one other goalscoring opportunity late in the game. Greulich-Smith chased and won one of those lost causes before finding his fellow striker, Wood, who sidestepped his marker and fired a fierce goalbound effort that West keeper Neal Atkinson tipped onto the post.

West spent the final moments pressing against the Shildon defence but were unable to create any clear cut chances. It would have been rough justice had they stolen the match but in the end, Shildon, who began the match fearing it may need to be abandoned, proved they have strength in depth. And while they will be satisfied to have survived the pre-match crisis, they will feel unfortunate not to have collected maximum points.

Craig Hughes returns to Crook

Midfielder Craig Hughes has departed Shildon and returned to Crook Town after being made available for transfer in the wake of the shock league defeat to the Division One newcomers.

Shildon lost their second match of the season 0-2 at home to the second division champions and it proved to be Craig’s last match for the club.

Craig, who joined Shildon from Crook, re-joins his brother, Chris, who moved to Crook in the close season to take up a coaching role.

The brothers had played together at Shildon last season.

Tweeting about his move, Craig said that he was “delighted to be back at Crook Town,” and all at Shildon wish him well.

Friday night football for Shildon

Talks between Shildon AFC and several other clubs have so far led to mutual agreements to arrange Friday night matches with three Northern League sides.

Subject to Northern League and FA approval, home and away league matches between Shildon and Ashington, Bedlington Terriers and Bishop Auckland will now be brought forward to Friday night, with a 7.30pm kick off time.

The first Friday night match will be Bedlington Terriers v Shildon on Friday 6th September.

These and any future arrangements will not apply to any already scheduled midweek matches.

Railwaymen see off Benfield resistance

It was the proverbial game of two halves as Shildon returned from Newcastle this evening with all three points after a stellar second half performance brushed aside Benfield’s stout first half resistance.

A Mark Hudson penalty after Sam Garvie was upended in the box got the ball rolling. Billy Greulich-Smith, in his first start of the season nodded home Ben Wood’s cross three minutes later and Sam Garvie finished the scoring with an expert finish nine minutes from time.

However, the victory was marred when debutant, Mark Stephenson had to be stretched off shortly after replacing Billy. We will keep you posted when we have news of his condition.

The first half was a stuttering affair, not helped by a referee intent on blowing for every minor infraction. Consequently, there was no flow to the game and chances were at a premium.

Shildon’s best effort came from a Ben Wood free kick that was tipped over the bar by Grainger in the Benfield goal, while the home side came close to taking a lead into the break when a goalmouth scramble required a clearance off the line before the referee blew his whistle one last time.

However, as the second half got underway, the referee kept his whistle away from his lips while the Railwaymen moved through the gears to take control of the tie. In 57 minutes, Ben Wood fed Sam Garvie who burst into the box before being fouled. Fit again Mark Hudson stepped up to resume penalty taking duties and made no mistake from 12 yards.

It was the breakthrough the side were waiting for and within minutes the lead was doubled. Billy Greulich-Smith was at the end of an excellent move to nod home a close range header from man-of-the-match, Ben Wood’s cross.

With a two-goal cushion, the Railwaymen never looked like conceding. Darren Richardson – another contender for the player of the game – slotted comfortably into the left-back berth and the defense looked more solid that it has so far this season. With Lewis Graham finding his voice (it appears he’s learning well from his tutor), the back five played extremely well as a unit and were rewarded with a deserved clean sheet.

Mark Stephenson entered the field for the final twenty minutes to allow Billy Greuich-Smith a rest after his first match of the season. Billy’s industry was rewarded with a goal, but he will need some more game time before he is fully match fit.

With nine minutes remaining, Sam Garvie capped the side’s second half performance with another fine strike. Shildon kept possession in the midfield after a Lewis Graham goal kick and Ben Wood lost his marker with a smart turn before playing the ball to Garvie at the edge of the box. Sam took a touch to side-step the defence before neatly directing his shot into the bottom corner.

Before the end, Shildon were unfortunate to lose Mark Stephenson when, reaching for the ball, he collapsed to the ground with no one near him. It looked entirely innocuous, but Sports Physio, Amy Gardner quickly called for the stretcher. The player was surrounded by the Shildon management team and we all wish him well for a swift recovery. Hopefully the injury is less serious than it appeared.

The Railwaymen played out the remainder of the game without ever looking under threat, although Graham was able to produce a smart stop on the one occasion Benfield beat the offside trap.

It was a far cry from last midweek’s loss to Crook, with the side looking sharp, determined and concentrated on the task of collecting all three points. In the end they did so with ease. Perhaps that early defeat served a positive purpose. It certainly seems so after scoring seven goals and conceding just one in the subsequent two matches.

Shildon march on in FA Cup

After a minor derailment in midweek, the Railwaymen got back on track in West Yorkshire with a clinical victory in the FA Cup at Garforth Town.

Shildon took full advantage of the wind at their backs to score three first half goals and effectively put the tie beyond the reach of the home side within half an hour.

A goal on the hour mark gave the home side a glimmer of hope, but Shildon made sure their name would be listed in the next round with a fourth goal ten minutes from time.

While the strong wind made for difficult conditions, the over-zealous referee somehow contrived to produce eight yellow cards and one red in a match that was competitive but, for the majority of the 166 spectators, sportingly contested.

It was the stiff breeze that led directly to the first goal, with Garforth keeper, Dominic Smith struggling to get any distance on his kick outs. Sam Hodgson picked up the short clearance inside the Garforth half and fed Ben Wood, who fired low and hard from 22 yards. Smith’s fingertips were not enough to keep the ball from nestling in the corner of the net.

Just three minutes into the tie, Shildon suffered a major blow when Paul Connor limped out of action, to be replaced by Darren Richardson, and one wondered whether the Railwaymen might struggle up front. But a second goal on 25 minutes put paid to any such fears.

Garforth found themselves a man light on the right side when Andy Hawksworth was halted by a ball to the face. As play continued, Shildon worked the ball well in the gap, with Sam Garvie feeding Ben Wood in the box. Wood was forced to the byline but held possession and cut the ball back to Hodgson who fired an unstoppable volley from 16 yards high and wide of the despairing Smith.

Six minutes later the tie was virtually over as a contest when Jamie Harwood latched on to a curling John Brackstone free kick to nod powerfully past the hapless goalkeeper.

Shildon eased down significantly in the second half and conceded a goal on the hour mark that gave the home side some hope of a comeback. A precise pass through the Shildon back four from Gary Storer found Alex Booker alone at the right side of the six yard area and his sidefooted shot across Lewis Graham found the side netting.

Shildon’s defence remained solid containing Garforth to shots from distance that failed to trouble the target. Perhaps Garforth’s best chance to close the gap further came in the 68th minute when it seemed that Darren Craddock had poleaxed C J Lyle in the box. However, in keeping with his run of strange decisions, the referee elected to book the home forward for diving.

As the players tired the match became ever scrappier, which suited Shildon, who duly put the tie beyond any doubt in the 80th minute. The bounce of a Ben Wood through ball was badly misjudged by Smith, and as it sailed over his head, Richardson was on hand to hook the ball into an empty net.

All that remained was for the referee to finally get the opportunity to wave his red card alongside the myriad of yellows he had already produced. On this occasion the yellow received by Tawanda Rupere was merited after he scythed down Richardson in frustration. It was his second of the match and he was forced to an early bath. One wonders whether the presence of an assessor got the better of the man in the middle, who seemed to have coped the least well with the conditions and, perhaps, the pressure of the occasion.

Shildon will now face Penrith at Dean Street in the next round after they ran out 3-1 winners over Newcastle Benfield. The tie will be played on Saturday, 31st August, with a 3pm kick off.