Match Report

Nine-man Guisborough hold out heroically for fully deserved 3-2 win over North Shields

Guisborough Town 3, North Shields 2

(Northern League – Division One)

A Guisborough Town side reduced to nine men held out valiantly for a priceless three points with a 3-2 victory over North Shields at the Kevin Edward KGV Stadium on Wednesday.

The Priorymen had surged into a 3-0 lead 50 minutes into the game, despite midfield stalwart Joe Ferguson being given a straight red card in the 38th minute for a tackle in which he won the ball first but caught his North Shields opponent with his follow-up.

It seemed a harsh decision on ‘Fergie’ who is a wholehearted, determined player and most fans in an excellent KGV crowd of 272 felt a yellow card would have been sufficient punishment.

However, Ben Sampson – the North Shields player involved in the tackle with Fergie writhing around on the pitch and shouting out in pain seemed to influence the referee into producing the red card almost immediately.

Sampson was up very quickly afterwards and seemed none the worse for wear.  Such is football – but it was felt that if the referee had waited just a few seconds to collect his thoughts then a yellow card may have been deemed sufficient punishment.

Earlier, Guisborough had sprinted into a two-goal lead inside the first 17 minutes when striker Matty Willshaw was tripped inside the box after just two minutes and club leading scorer Kurtis Howes scored with a trademark spot kick right into the left hand corner for 1-0 to the Priorymen.

In the 17th minute Guisborough doubled their lead with a lightning move down the right wing – started off cleverly by ‘keeper Ryan Catterick.  He shouted out Howes name as he launched a brilliant kick down the right which found Howes perfectly and he drilled the ball across the Shields goal towards the far corner where Toluwani Osiyemi got the final touch into the net for 2-0.

Despite Ferguson’s sending off Guisborough continued to dominate both before half-time and after the break and on 50 minutes Willshaw scored a brilliant individual goal to make it 3-0.

The Shields defence failed to clear a long ball over the top and Willshaw turned on his blistering pace to beat two defenders before rounding the visiting ‘keeper and calmly firing into an empty net.  It was a superb goal and nothing less than Guisborough deserved.

In the 68th minute North Shields were given hope when substitute Ryan Carr was unmarked in the centre of goal and he hooked the ball home for 3-1.

Guisborough were bringing on several of their young starlets to replace some of their tiring older players but one of the young subs – Tommy Dowson – was given  his marching orders in the 93rd minute for two yellow cards in very quick succession. The first seemed for a fairly innocuous challenge but the second one was for an obvious trip and he was off.

Shields got a faint hope of getting something out of the game when Carr scored his second goal in the 94th minute but the referee blew the final whistle after a long five minutes’ of stoppage time and Guisborough and their fans breathed a huge sigh of relief at a very well-earned and deserved 3-2 victory.

The crucial three points extended the Priorymen’s lead over second-placed Shildon who have a game in hand.

The Guisborough Brewery-sponsored Man of the Match award deservedly went to centre back James Frazer for another colossal display in the heart of the defence. Cal Martin at right back and Dylan McAvoy at left back both produced flawless display along with Frazer’s central defensive partner Jordan Fielding who eventually had to leave the field with a head injury.

Up front Willshaw, Howes and the incredibly hard-working Tolu were superb while in midfield Jack Bailey had a brilliant game along with non-stop Alfie Doherty.

After the game Guisborough  Town Assistant  Manager Gary Wood commented:

“I thought the lads did very well tonight in difficult circumstances against a very tough, physical North Shields side.

“I think we could have been a lot more comfortable if certain decisions out on the pitch tonight had been justified and correct.

“We made a brilliant start as we came out of the blocks quickly as we often do.

“The lads put in a lot of effort and by the 50th minute we deserved to be 3-0 up if not four or five with the numerous  goalscoring chances that we created.

“Even when we went down to nine men our team showed a lot of togetherness and great spirit- as I’ve said several times in the past.”

Gary strongly praised the efforts put in by the Guisborough team, including the young players who came off the bench to play their part.

“We’ve got some real warhorses like Jack Bailey, Cal Martin and Dylan McAvoy. I could go right through the team and the squad as a whole for their whole-hearted efforts and commitment tonight,” continued Gary.

On the two sendings off, Gary said: “Regarding Joe Ferguson’s straight red – he’s put a strong tackle in, won the ball cleanly but caught their guy on the follow through.

“In my playing days that type of tackle would have got you a yellow at most or not even anything at all.

“So has the ref got it right or wrong – in my view it’s questionable.

“Then late on young Tommy Dowson has picked up two yellow cards for two half tackles.

“Yet North Shields have put in plenty of hard tackles themselves and a professional foul at one stage that prevented a possible goal – yet all of them have gone unpunished.

“But I’m not going to blame the referee and at the end of the day we’ve won the game and come away with three valuable points.

“So we move on and look forward to some very big games coming up for us,” added Gary.

He took the opportunity  to wish North Shields all the very best for their upcoming FA Vase game. “It’s been quite a while since a Northern League side has won the Vase so we wish Shields all the very best in the next round of the Competition.”

Report by Bill Perfitt.