Shildon vs Newcastle Benfield

Recap

MATCH REPORT BY WILF TRAY _{(edited by Michael Wilson)}

Posthill Hat-Trick Powers Shildon to Victory Over Benfield

Shildon AFC cruised to a 3–1 win over Newcastle Benfield at Dean Street on Wednesday night, with debutant Joe Posthill stealing the headlines after a blistering first-half hat-trick.

The Railwaymen dominated proceedings from the outset, and it was Posthill—signed just days earlier—who lit up the evening with a dream debut. He broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, turning home a pinpoint cross from Luke Spalding to re-open his Shildon account. Just two minutes later, he doubled the lead, latching onto a clever through ball from Jon Weirs and calmly slotting past the onrushing keeper.

Posthill’s third came in the 32nd minute, capitalising on a defensive mix-up between Benfield’s goalkeeper and centre-half to tap into an empty net and complete a sensational hat-trick inside eleven minutes.

Unfortunately, his night ended prematurely when he limped off just moments into the second half. Speaking after the match, Posthill revealed he’d felt a twinge during the warm-up that worsened during the interval. “It tightened up at half-time,” he said, “but hopefully it’s nothing serious.”

Despite a flurry of missed chances, Shildon remained in control throughout. Benfield pulled one back in the 66th minute through Jack Watson, but it proved little more than a consolation as the hosts continued to press until the final whistle.

The win sees Shildon extend their momentum, and they’ll be eyeing another three points this Saturday when they travel to struggling Marske United, currently second-bottom in the table.

Attendance: 290