By Garry Clarke Pictures John Hopkins
SOUTH Shields maintained their 8-point lead at the top of the NPL Premier Division table with a narrow victory against Rylands at Gorsey Lane.
It was perhaps inevitable that a game of little quality but plenty of endeavours between evenly matched two hard-working sides would be decided by a penalty.
The games decisive moment arrived in the 38th minute when Robert Briggs sent the Rylands goalkeeper Luke Pilling the wrong way from the penalty spot. Briggs had struck a post with a shot and in the scramble to clear the rebound Kyle Hayde was adjudged to have brought down Dylan Mottley-Henry promoting the award of the spot kick.
After Shields had opened the game by flashing a dangerous ball across from face of Rylands goal the first two chances fell to the home side within the first ten minutes of the game.
Harry Pratt, playing his last game for the club, won the ball out wide on the left flank, but his chip shot was comfortably Shields keeper Myles Boney and Kelly N’Mai’s free kick from the edge of the area sailed the bar.
Shields started to dominate the game had had several chances to increase their tally before half time. Darius Osei, Mackenzie Henaney and Motley-Henry were just off target with efforts while Osei and Mottley-Henry both drew fine saves from Pilling.
Four minutes into the second half N’Mai fired a dangerous low cross into the Shields area which Boney did well to hold, while a cpuple of minutes later Osei struck a Rylands post with a header before in a frantic opening period N,Mai wriggled his way through the Shields defence to save up Johnny Hunt whose shot was saved by Boney.
Boney was called into action mid way through the second half as Sam Egerton back headed a long throw by Hayde towards goal, and the custodian reacted well in the dying minutes to keep out a Pratt header.
South Shields saw out the remainder of the game in a controlled professional fashion with saw Michael Woods twice fire over the Rylands bar from outside the area and Pilling save well to keep out a Tom Broadbent header.
WARRINGTON RYLANDS: Pilling Hayde Hunt (Robinson) Mustoe Egerton Hockenhull Neild (Cooke) Furman Pratt N’Mai Vassallo; SUBS: Mantack Wright Smith
SOUTH SHIELDS: Boney Doherty Adams Liddle Broadbent Smith Heaney Briggs Osei Alessandra (Woods) Mottley-Henry (Mongoy); SUBS: Morse Gomes Shokunbi
Referee Francis Sibley Attendance 571
