No sleep for Shildon boss after Vase exit
SHILDON player manager Daniel Moore admitted he’ll “not sleep” after his side’s exit from the FA Vase on penalties against Warrington Rylands.
Moore and full-back Aidan Heywood missed the crucial spot kicks after a goalless draw at Dean Street as the North West Counties Premier Division side saw off the Railwaymen to progress to the fifth round.
The hosts did enough to win the game in the opening 45 minutes after Dean Thexton failed to convert from the spot before Heywood and Michael Sweet both hit the post, but neither side could find that elusive breakthrough as the tie went to a shootout.
“I’m absolutely gutted – I’ll not sleep for days,” said Moore. “I feel responsible which is even more gutting,” he added. “It’s a cruel way to go out particularly if you’re the better team and when you’ve had opportunities to finish the game. Sometimes you don’t get what you deserve in football.”
It had been 119 days since Moore and his side took to the field in a competitive game during their impressive win at Northern League rivals Stockton Town in the previous round of the competition, but they didn’t show any signs of ring rust in the early stages.
Thexton glanced a header wide from Joe Posthill’s cross inside the opening minute before Posthill won the Railwaymen a penalty in the ninth minute after capitalising on a loose touch from Joseph Denham who brought the winger down.
Thexton, who scored twice in that win at Stockton in December, stepped up but saw his penalty saved low to the keeper’s left.
The visitors came close to punishing Thexton for the missed spot-kick two minutes later as Stephen Milne latched onto Charlie Doyle’s long ball, but he steered wide with the goal at his mercy.
Thexton missed another golden opportunity after Graeme Mccall failed to gather Kurt Matthews’ cross instead fumbling to Sweet who rolled it back to Thexton on the six-yard box only to blaze high over the bar.
“Nobody misses on purpose, it’s just one of them,” said Moore. “We’ve created enough to win the game we just haven’t taken our chances and that’s what you need to do in football matches. It doesn’t matter how you get it in the net it’s about putting it in.
“I thought we were very good it was just that end product – and they were the same. You could tell both teams were a bit rusty in front of goal to say the least but in the main I’m just gutted we lost out on penalties. It’s a when it goes that way.”
Shildon may not have needed penalties had Heywood’s excellent left-footed strike 10 minutes before the break not bounced agonisingly across goal from the angle of post and bar, only to fall to Sweet who saw his low drive touched onto the opposite post and out for a corner.
But as the two teams tired in the second half the tie looked destined to be settled from 12 yards and after goalkeeper Shaun Newbrook had given the hosts the advantage by saving from Warren Gerrard, Moore missed Shildon’s fourth kick before Heywood was superbly denied in sudden-death to end their hopes of Vase success.
“Everyone that took one wanted to take a penalty,” said Moore. “I thought mine was in the corner and then Aidan’s he’s got a good hand to it.
“I backed Deano all day long [to score in normal time] and then it’s funny because he went and smashed his kick in during the shootout.
“I know what this competition is like. I said before the game in big games you have to take your chances. We did that against Stockton, we did it against Bootle and today we didn’t.”
Shildon XI: Newbrook, Heywood, Robson, Moore, Vaulks, Palmer, Posthill (Craggs ’86), Trotter, Thexton, Sweet, Matthews (Greulich-smith ’77) Subs: Lavery, Moody, Bateman Warrington Rylands XI: Mccall ©, Lees (Sheen ’64), Tinning, Smith, Denham (Kenny ’73), Gerrard, Doyle, Scarisbrick, Milne, Ready, Morris (Shanley ’57). Subs: Emery, Freeman, Coveney, Potter
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