Defender Blair has birthday to remember

Ex-Sunderland youngster Blair Adams had a birthday to remember as his first career hat-trick helped South Shields to a thumping FA Cup victory over Garforth Town.

Shields won 5-1 at Mariners Park as Adams stole the headlines on the day David Foley made his second debut for the club.

Left-back Adams scored three goals in just six minutes either side of half-time to ease the Mariners’ passage into the second qualifying round, with Gavin Cogdon and Matty Pattison also on target.

Garforth fought gallantly to keep the game goalless and were indebted to goalkeeper Toby Wells for his brilliance in the opening period as Shields sought the breakthrough.

It finally arrived with 34 minutes on the clock when Josh Gillies found a way through with a defencesplitting pass and Cogdon made a reverse run before firing low past Wells, finding the corner.

That was the cue for the floodgates to open.

Gillies went agonsingly close to doubling the Mariners’ advantage when his effort from the left of the box arrowed against the foot of the post before bouncing clear.

Four minutes before half-time, Shields did go 2-0 up as a Robert Briggs shot rebounded to Adams, who sent a stunning half-volley into the corner of the net from 25 yards.

Less than two minutes later, Adams was on the scoresheet again as he exchanged passes with Gillies and motored into the box before stroking the ball home in composed style.

He completed a sixminute hat-trick just after half-time with a quality low finish from the left-back, who made it a birthday he will never forget.

Pattison made it five, colliding with the back post in the process, and substitute Foley then went within inches of marking his second debut with a goal only to strike the post.

Against the run of play, Garforth pulled one back when after a ricochet from a corner, the ball hit substitute Curtly Martin-Wyatt and nestled in the net, but it was a comfortable afternoon for a rampant Shields.