Safe Skem edged by the champions
AFTER results elsewhere in midweek confirmed safety from relegation, United hosted champions elect South Shields with the visitors edging a 1-0 victory in front a record home crowd of 373.
Dave Powell welcomed James Barrigan back from illness in place of Jordan Darr who was recalled by Chorley earlier in the week after a run of great performances for United.
United started brightly as the trio of Jack Lenehan, Bevan Burey and Scott Bakkor combined down the right wing with Bakkor forcing a strong defensive block.
The visitors’ first opening saw a dangerous cross evade everyone with the pressure on the defence seeing Carl Finnigan force a block and the rebound curled wide by Gavin Cogdon.
Cogdon went closer in the next attack as Matthew Pattison put him in on goal but he clipped the ball past the near post.
Shields were unlucky not to open the scoring on 16 minutes as a clever cross by Michael Richardson saw Pattison fire at goal with his effort superbly denied by Phil Mooney’s goal-line clearance.
Cogdon went close again minutes later with a glancing header across goal.
An inswinging corner from Pattison forced Callum Roberts into a strong parry before James Barrigan’s long range free-kick was deflected wide.
The resulting corner saw Tom Molyneux find Barrigan who advanced on goal and drew a clever block with Josh Wardle clipping a shot just past the post.
The best chance of the half came on 39 minutes as a short Pattinson corner allowed Craig Baxter to cross into the path of Finnigan whose header saw a spectacular stop from Roberts. Shields continued to threaten with Dillon Morse heading narrowly past the post from a corner before a cross from Richardson saw Pattison head wide.
The Mariners started the second half the brighter with Finnigan finding Cogdon in good space to shoot past the near post inside two minutes of the restart before his deflected effort minutes later forced a superb fingertip save from Roberts over the bar.
A massive chance for the visitors on 53 minutes was wasted as a low cutback from Richardson saw Pattison blaze over from close range.
United responded with Burey lofting a cross to the far post but with Barrigan unlucky not to collect and minutes later a long cross from Liam Davies proved too high for Bakkor to reach.
The breakthrough came on 76 minutes as clever play from Baxter allowed Pattison to sweep over a cross which substitute Graeme Armstrong flicked past Roberts to open the scoring. United should have levelled on 84 minutes as substitute Tunde Owolabi connected to Molyneux’s corner but saw his header go over the bar.
Jack Lenehan completed a mazy run with a shot past the post while at the other end; Shields should have doubled their lead as Pattison’s angled shot crept past the far post before Aksel Juul forced a low save from Roberts.
The final whistle saw a roar of celebration from the visiting Mariners as United ended the week with consecutive defeats but like Monday night, they came close to a deserved point.