SKELMERSDALE 0 SOUTH SHIELDS 1 Mariners can celebrate for real after win
NOW it’s official!
South Shields will play in the Evo-Stik League’s top-flight next season after their 1-0 win against Skelmersdale United.
But we already knew they were up
nly an overly cautious EvoStik League prevented an “official” celebration but substitute Graeme Armstrong’s goal confirmed what had already been widely accepted.
Roared on by an impressive travelling support, the Mariners looked to seize the initiative in the early stages.
Carl Finnigan had a shot blocked, Gavin Cogdon curled wide, Matty Pattison had a shot cleared off the line.
A goal seemed inevitable but it didn’t arrive. Not yet anway. The pressure was ramped up as the visitors forced their Merseyside opponents deeper and deeper inside their own half.
Robert Briggs headed wide as he rose to meet a Pattison cross and only an acrobatic save from Skem keeper Callum Roberts kept out a Finnigan header.
Somehow the hosts ended the half on level terms, despite being under pressure for the majority of the opening 45 minutes.
The second half continued in the same fashion.
Cogdon and Pattison went close in the opening minutes of the half as it looked as if the Mariners could be having “one of those days”.
An injury to Julio Arca forced Lee Picton and Graham Fenton into their first change as promotion specialist Graeme Armstrong entered the fray.
The striker has been promoted with Darlington and Spennymoor Town in the last two seasons and has previously achieved the same feat with Gateshead.
He can now add South Shields to that ever-growing list as he finally made the breakthrough on 76 minutes.
Former Newcastle United midfielder Matty Pattison was the creator as he fired a ball into the host’s area and Armstrong was on hand to flick the ball past a helpless Roberts.
The visitors were finally thrust into life by Armstrong’s strike.
They applied some pressure and substitute Tunde Owalabi headed over from a corner before full back Jack Lenehan fired wide from the edge of the box.
Those chances were a temporary reprieve as the Mariners looked to seal the game in the closing stages.
Pattison went close, as did substitute Aksel Juul. But they had done enough and the final whistle confirmed a promotion that had already being celebrated.
Three years, three promotions, now it’s on to the challenge of making it three league titles. IN THE Evo-Stik Premier Division, Whitby Town ended their away days for the season with a 3-0 win at Marine.
Despite being in a poor run of form the Seasiders started the game on top.
Junior Mondal was the chieftormentor and came close to opening the scoring twice in the opening 25 minutes.
Only Marine keeper Martin Fearon denied him from doing that with two impressive saves.
The deadlock was finally broken on 43 minutes when Callum Patton was found by Lewis Maloney and he lashed the ball inside the near-post.
Patton got his second goal of the day on 79 minutes with a sublime shot beyond Fearon and into the far corner of the net.
The win was sealed in injury time by Anthony Hume. . O