Category: Match Report

Sammy seals it in soggy Bedlington

Shildon returned from Bedlington with all three points after one of the most dominant displays one is likely to witness at any match. The foul weather and televised World Cup football kept the attendance below the hoped for spike that Friday night football might bring to the Northern League this season, but the small crowd were nevertheless entertained by the one-sided spectacle.

In the pouring rain, the Railwaymen poured forward from start to finish, forcing the Terriers onto the back foot for the majority of the match. Yet it took a fabulous save from Lewis Graham midway through the second half to prevent the home side from taking a shock lead.

Diving to his right, the young keeper fingertipped the ball onto the post and, moments later, Shildon benefitted from another slight contact as Sam Garvie’s cross was diverted into the net for a deserved, if somewhat fortunate goal to take the lead.

Ten minutes from time Garvie doubled his and Shildon’s tally with a thunderous drive to put the match beyond Bedlington.

It was another match in which Shildon forged countless opportunities but failed to find the net until the home defence’s luckless intervention in the 66th minute. Of course it could also be argued that by creating so many chances, the breakthrough is almost a statistical inevitability. If any match made the case for such an argument it was surely this one.

Shildon must be commended for continuing to search for the first goal in the face of so many chances falling by the wayside and, having found the opener, it seemed certain that the scoreline would be extended.

Thirteen minutes from time Shildon made a double substitution. The industrious pair of Billy Greulich-Smith and Ben Wood were replaced by Stephen Turnbull and Paul Connor, both of whom were making welcome returns from injury.

Within three minutes the pair combined to force the opening that led to the second goal. Turnbull’s cross from Connor’s pass was laid back into the striker’s path by Scroggins. The blocked shot landed in Garvie’s path and the forward volleyed powerfully home.

The scoreline failed to demonstrate Shildon’s complete dominance of this tie, but the side will be happy to celebrate taking all three points in this first of at least five Friday night fixtures the side will play this season.

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.

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.

Shildon off to winning start

Shildon AFC kicked off their new season with a comfortable 2-0 home win against Team Northumbria.

With six new signings in the starting line-up, the Railwaymen controlled the game from start to finish. In the first minute, Northumbria’s David Luke fired wide, before Shildon took control and chances fell to Shildon’s new boys Paul Connor, Jamie Harwood and Ross Wilkinson, with keeper Jennison saving for the visitors.

Jamie Harwood and Sam Garvie were causing Northumbria’s defence problems down the right and on 26 minutes Shildon took a deserved lead when Sam Garvie beat three defenders but was tripped just outside the area.

From the free kick Chris Emms curled a wonderful effort into the top left corner giving Jennison no chance.

Just before the break a long ball found danger man Paul Connor who headed over the advancing keeper but his shot sailed just wide.

The second half was a continuation of the first with Shildon dominating from the kick-off. Chris Emms fired just wide, then Paul Connor had two more good chances. Even so, Northumbria did play some good passing football, but they never threatened Shildon’s goal.

On 69 minutes Shildon thought they had won a penalty when Louis Storey brought down Lee Scroggins, but the ref deemed it was outside the box.

Four minutes later, however the same player brought down Ben Wood, this time well inside the area for a penalty which Paul Connor smashed home with ease.

Near the end, Lee Scroggins fired wide from 6 yards out.