SEASIDERS SEAL DREAM OF STEP 3
TWO stunning strikes helped Marske United to a historic promotion to Step 3 with victory over Teesside rivals Stockton Town at a sunny Mount Pleasant.
Marske manager Carl Jarrett told The NLP: “We all deserved this. We’ve worked all season for this and this is the result of nine years of hard graft. We totally deserve it.”
A capacity crowd was on hand for a thrilling and often tense derby in which you often felt one goal either way would prove decisive. Marske made one change from the team that beat Shildon on Tuesday, with Curtis Round replacing Liam O’Sullivan at left-back, while Stockton were unchanged from their win at Cleethorpes.
Chances were hard to come by in a cagey first half with the first chance of the game falling to the visitors after Connor Smith misjudged the bounce of the ball, allowing Mikey Roberts time to shoot but he steered his effort wide.
It took 24 minutes for Marske to have a shot on goal with Dale Hopson flashing one wide but seven minutes later, the best chance of the half fell the Seasiders’ way when top scorer Adam Boyes was sent through on goal but keeper Callum Rovers managed to keep his shot out.
On 63 minutes, the Anchors came agonisingly close when Nathan Mulligan’s free-kick from the right found Adam Nicholson, whose header hit the post and rebounded straight into the arms of a grateful Catterick.
Moments later, Marske almost took the lead when Boyes got a foot to Nicholson’s backpass but was denied again by Roberts.
However, the home side finally went ahead with 18 minutes remaining with a stunner from Smith. He picked the ball up on halfway, embarking on a mazy, run past several Stockton defenders before stopping on the edge of the box, cutting back onto his right foot and curling the ball into the top corner, sending the Seasiders faithful delirious.
Despite the introduction of former Marske striker Jamie Owens and Dale Mulligan as a makeshift forward, Stockton struggled to create and Marske sealed promotion in the 90th minute when captain Craig Gott controlled the ball 35 yards out and volleyed past the helpless Roberts.
The Anchors did get one back deep into stoppage time when Nathan Mulligan’s free kick was glanced home by Tom Portas but there was no time for Stockton to find an equaliser and the final whistle prompted jubilant scenes among the Marske players and fans as they look ahead to seventh tier football for the first time.
Craig Gott (Marske)
★★★★★