Cleethorpes secure well-deserved draw
CLEETHORPES Town battled hard to grab a welldeserved point by drawing 0-0 at North Shields to maintain their challenge for the promotion play-off places.
Clee are now unbeaten in three games under the management of former Mariners’ favourite, Nathan Arnold and are strong contenders to remain in the top five for the rest of the season. The Owls now sit fourth in the Northern Premier League Division One East after 17 games, level on points with third-placed Stocksbridge Park Steels.
Clee travelled to North Shields with several first team regulars missing through injury and included 18-year-old Grimsby Town loanee Harvey Tomlinson in the line-up.
The Mariners’ youngster almost scored in the sixth minute but was denied by the Robins’ keeper.
Top scorer Declan Howe went close five minutes later as his side began to pile on the pressure.
Try as they might, the Owls could not break through the stubborn Robins’ defence despite creating chance after chance.
The best opportunity came three minutes from time when Jack Moore-Bilham found himself at the end of a lightning break only to see his shot zip a yard wide of the upright. Owls’ boss Arnold gave his thoughts on the match and said: “It was frustrating because of the amount of chances we created.
“I said to the lads in the changing room they did everything else but score.
“I think we could have played for a week, and it still wouldn’t drop in for us.
“The pleasing thing is we kept a clean sheet, our organisation, and the number of chances we created.
“We had some key players missing and had a relatively young side out there.
“I can’t fault any of them, they ran themselves into the ground.
“It was a great debut by Harvey who did brilliantly for us down the right-hand side. “On another day it could have been three or four and a perfect away performance.
“The most pleasing thing was the way we defended, threw bodies on the line and carried out our game plan.
“We were always going to create chances so there are lots of positives.”
The owls return to the North East on Saturday to take on close rivals Dunston.