North Shields 3-1 Whitley Bay
Thursday December 26th 2019
By Peter Fox
North Shields came out on top of the first coastal “derby” (El Classicoast / El Coastico, delete as applicable) of the season played on a very heavy pitch played out in front of a crowd of 676.
Both teams had difficulty dealing with the pitch but it was Bay who created the first chance with Coleby Shepherd forcing a smart save from Greg Purvis in the Shields goal.
North Shields responded with a Scott McCarthy shot which Bay keeper Dan Lister held and then it was again McCarthy who threatened when he fired wide from a Paul Robinson cross. Shields kept up the pressure when Kyle Patton went on a good run and created a shooting chance but his finish was weak. It seemed that the home side were in the ascendency but they fell behind after 15 minutes after Michael Colquhoun was brought down in the box by keeper Purvis. This earned the keeper a yellow card and Shepherd confidently despatched the spot kick.
The lead was only to last five minutes however as a cross from the right into the Bay box was met by a poor defensive header (by Martin I think) and McCarthy buried the ball past Lister.
McCarthy nearly put Shields in front with a glancing header a minute later before Whitley broke and Purvis did well to block Colquhoun’s shot and Marcus Giles following up missed the rebound.
Seven minutes before half time an astute through ball from Cam Cunningham set up Patton who forced a fine save from Lister and minutes later Gary Ormston fired over the bar to end an exciting first half.
The second half started quite slowly but Bay created a couple of chances but players wanting a second touch cost them as the chances were lost. Bay seemed to have a legitimate penalty shout turned down after 58 minutes when Giles was brought down in the box and then two minutes later Purvis produced an outstanding one handed save low down to his right to deny Giles after Colquhoun had created the opportunity. Chances were starting to come at come at both ends again Purvis produced a brave save at the feet of Colquhoun in between Lister denying Paul Van-Zandvliet with the help of a post and McCarthy again.
With 20 minutes to go North Shields forced the breakthrough when Van-Zandvliet powered home a header from a corner from the left after Lister had produced a brilliant double save.
Only three minutes later and Lister who had been in tremendous form had a rush of blood and came running out of his box, and in attempting to head the ball clear only directed the ball back towards his own goal giving Shields sub Callum Smith a simple chance to make it 3-1 which he duly took.
Lister made a couple of further good saves, and sub Craig McFarlane chipped wide for Bay but after that third goal the game was up and just to compound their misery Bay had James Martin sent off for a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Whitley Bay: Lister, Smith, Martin, Anderson, Taylor, Lowery, Orrell, Robinson, Colquhoun, Shepherd (Fairley 67), Giles (McFarlane 77)
