Hooper inspires Mariners to stunning comeback win
JJ Hooper was the star of the show as his four goals sealed a pulsating comeback win for South Shields against Nantwich Town at a buoyant 1st Cloud Arena.
The Mariners found themselves two goals behind at the break, Sean Cooke firing Nantwich into the lead with a penalty before Jake Bickerstaff doubled their advantage with a fine finish.
Shields were handed a golden opportunity to pull one back seven minutes into the second half, but Robert Briggs’ penalty hit the post – and the hosts may have been wondering if it was set to be one of those days.
Hooper changed the narrative, though, halving the deficit with a close-range finish just after the hour mark before a brace of headers completed his hat-trick and edged Shields in front.
The striker completed the scoring with his fourth goal two minutes from the end as the Mariners moved three points clear at the top of the Northern Premier League – Premier.
Shields conceded the opening goal on the quarter-hour mark, with Cooke scoring a penalty after Jack Bodenham was adjudged to have fouled Akiel Raffie.
The hosts fell further behind in the 24th minute when Bickerstaff displayed some impressive footwork
on the left of the area before rifling a low shot into the bottom corner.
The response from Kevin Phillips’ side was strong, they were unable to pull a goal back before the break.
Shields began peppering their opponents’ goal after the interval and looked set to half the deficit on 52 minutes when the visitors were penalised for a handball, but Briggs suffered a rare miss from the spot.
Undeterred, the Mariners did not let their heads drop and the onslaught continued.
Bodenham headed narrowly over from a Nathan Lowe corner and Sam Hodgson was denied by visiting goalkeeper Matty Gould before Hooper notched his first of the afternoon, touching home from close range after Hodgson clipped the ball past Gould.
Shields made it a quickfire double to pull back on level terms when Jordan Hunter and Lowe combined on the right and the latter's cross was directed into the bottom corner by the head of Hooper.
With a raucous crowd of
more than 2,000 urging them on, the hosts continued to attack and had a number of opportunities to take the lead , with Briggs shooting just wide from 20 yards and later being denied by Gould after some fine trickery in the box, while Hunter was narrowly kept off the scoresheet when his cross-come-shot was clawed away by the goalkeeper.
Despite their regular raids into the visitors' final third, time looked to be running out for Shields until Hooper grabbed the decisive goal six minutes from time.
Again he had Lowe to thank for breaking Nantwich's resolve, with the number seven delivering a cross from the right which Hooper met with a bullet header into the centre of the net.
There appeared no way back from there for the Dabbers and the points were sealed for the Mariners on 88 minutes when Briggs released Hooper on the insideleft of the area and the former Newcastle United forward made no mistake, beating Gould with a fine finish.