GAZ GIVES ROBINS GLORY
NORTH SHIELDS, FA Vase winners in 2015, left it late to get the better of Handsworth Parramore as Robins’ talisman Gareth Bainbridge struck twice in the last 10 minutes.
Bainbridge rescued the hosts from what was looking like extra-time against a resilient Amber Parras outfit.
North Shields boss Brian Smith was pleased with his side’s second half performance after a disappointing first 45.
“We weren’t particularly good, our passing was poor and we were poor for the first 35 minutes,” said Smith.
“We had a golden opportunity to make the score 3-1 after we’d taken the lead, but in the second half we were much better.
“Anything can happen in the Vase when the game is level, but fortunately Gaz Bainbridge has come up with two good finishes at the end.”
Handsworth Parramore started the better of the two sides and took the lead with the first shot of the game.
Jamie Yates dinked the ball into the path of Jonathan Froggatt, who guided the ball beyond Kyle Hayes from 12yards out.
North Shields equalised three minutes later with their first real attack. Stuart Ludlam failed to clear Ryan Carr’s through ball, and Dean Holmes raced through to score.
The Robins took the lead ten minutes later, Jordan Summerly’s marauding run set up Holmes, who cut the ball back for Paul Robinson who found the top left corner.
Handsworth equalised against the run of play after the break, through a beautiful turn and 25-yard strike from Jonathan Hill which flew beyond Hayes into the top corner.
Bainbridge ended all Parramore hopes, first heading home from a Joe Robson cross before adding a fourth with a shot into the bottom corner.
Handsworh Parramore manager James Colliver said: “We played really well, we kept the ball well first half and to come up North and score two goals was excellent.
“In the first half we made North Shields look very ordinary, so to do that is credit to the lads, though it was obviously a sickener a the end.”