Newspaper Clippings - Dick Butler - page 9
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GA Now Greenwells come to Cleadon on Wednesday night 8 - GOAL MARINERS UP AMONG THE LEADERS SOUTH SHIELDS Mariners centre half Jimmy Compton , injured in the first match and out of action in the three since , admirably summed up the club's great team spirit on Saturday when he cracked : " I think I'm going to be the best reserve in the Northern Alliance . At this rate my job's going to be selling the weekly tickets ! " He had just sat through the Mariners ' 8-2 victory over the hitherto 100 per cent league leaders Workington Reserves a win achieved with another superb all - round team perfor mance . Shields are one of three sides on six points at the top of the table , but they could take over the leadership this week . On Wednesday night ( 6.30 ) they meet Sunderland Greenwells at Cleadon Recr eation Ground . FIRST POINTS In their first game , Green wells ost 3-1 to champions Marine Park ( who Shields subsequently beat 1-0 ) , then lost 5-0 to Seaham , but on Saturday they collected their first po ' in beating Bed lington 2-0 . Shields should have the edge over Seaham on Wed nesday , the same night that Marine Park are at home to leaders Percy Main Ama teurs . This weekend the Mariners are away to pointless Throck ley , so they should continue their great start to the season . On Saturday they did not crack the Workington de fence until the 35th minute when Ray Young opened the scoring . He and Jimmy Robson added further goals before the break as Shields piled on the pressure . In the second half Young completed his hat - trick and Robson brought his tally to four , including a penalty , with centre half Jim McFar lane getting the eighth . Shields were leading 5-0 when Workington , who chased everything and always tried to play football , scored their goals . Shields ' man of the match : Again difficult , but Jimmy Robson's four goals just clinched it . The Shields line - up was : Patterson , Wardale , Ruth erford , McDonald , McFar lane , Graham , Young , Johns tone , Robson , Sugatt Madden . Sub . Hunter . NORTHERN ALLIANCE Percy Main A 3 Alnwick T 3 3 SS Mariners Seaham RS Marine Pk . P W D L F A Pt Alston Belford T. 4 833070o co co to to co to co to s ... ... 3 2 32 Morpeth T. Work'ton Res . 3 2 3 1110001NNNWwws Bedlington Wallsend Greenwells Wallington Throckley W : 3 Stockton Bede Coll . Newcastle U Ath 3 2 10 3 6 0936 1 15 7 1 5 4 2 2 2 2 CONTOHNN2233CO 6 18 3 4 2 4 5 1 1 6 4 4 9 10 4 1 7 6 5 5 7 9 3 8 7 4 2 3 13 00 2 10 00 00 5-1 WIN TAKES MARINERS TO THE TOP OF THE TABLE By DICK KIRKUP SOUTH SHIELDS Mariners climbed to the top of the Northern Alliance last night over the body of Sunderland Greenwells and with the assistance of a hefty " bunk " from champions Marine Park . For while the Mariners were beating Greenwells 5-1 at Cleadon Recreation Ground , yesterday's leaders Percy Main Amateurs were losing their 100 per cent record by the only goal at Marine Park , Wallsend . Shields have played more games than their rivals , but their leadership is given credibilty by last week's 1-0 away win over the 1972-73 and 1973-74 champions Marine Park . That significant result was a warning shot t the rest of the league and the message has got home . SATISFIED Manager Bobby Elwell is one of the first to concede that the season still has a long way to go , but he is ne vertheless well satisfied at Shields ' early progress . In no time at all he has de veloped a team spirit that spills out of the happy dress ing room onto the pitch . . but most of all , this sturdy young club is establishing its own identity . It may be argued that in the Northern Alliance the town's soccer is strictly low key but is it ? Last night the attendance at a rain lashed Cleadon Rec . ap proached 200 , a figure that gives club officials just as much , encouragement as their rapidly expanding weekly ticket scheme . South Shields Mariners are on the move , and the future could be an exciting one . If the Mariners have brought goals back to foot- > ball , they have also brought genuine applause back , too . Yet again at half - time last night they were applauded off the pitch having built up a 5-1 lead Before play resumed Young limped out of the game with a groin strain , substitute Steve Hunter get ting his chance and playing some fine football . One minute later powerhouse Billy Graham scored a devas tating goal , rounding three defenders , retaining control beautifully and hitting scorching 18 - yarder past Morgan . a corner from Eric Johnstone he scored with a fierce near post drive from 15 yards . Ritchie Madden saw his 33rd minute shot hooked off the Sunderland goal - line , bit six minutes later it was 4-0 when Sunderland left half Stabler deflected a Johnstone shot into his own net . Within seconds Shields were caught upfield with their defences down and Purnell tapped the ball into the empty net , but in the 42nd minute Shields centre forward saw Jimmy Robson Morgan brilliantly palm a searing drive away for a corner . However , on the stroke of half - time Alan Suggett stormed more than half the length of the pitch , lost the ball , regained it when he lat ched onto a faulty back pass and somehow squeezed the ball into the net from the narrowest of angles . In the second half Shields lost their rhythm , and Sun derland played well with their new - found freedom , but even so Morgan made the save of the game to palm away a first - time volley from Suggett Shields ' man of the match : Undoubtedly back four sweeper Keith McDonald who has come so near to winning the nomination in earlier matches . YOUNG HURT Sunderland inside left Pur nell caused a cold shiver when his delicately flighted lob just cleared the Shields bar with Dick Patterson off his line , but seven minutes later Shields moved ahead . The strongly - built Ray Young saw his low 25 - yard drive beat Alston goalkeeper Morgan , and on the half hour Young rammed in No. 2 when , following a short NORTHERN ALLIANCE P W D L F 5 4 1 20 3 3 SS Mariners . Alnwick T ... Marine Pk 4 3 6 Percy Main A 4 3 1 10 Seaham RS ... 3 Morpeth T. 2 3 3 3 Wallsend Ath . 3 Greenwells Throckley W 4 2 Work'ton Res . 3 Belford T. Bedlington Wallington 4 3 Stockton 3 Newcastle U ... Bede Coll . . 100010dfdfdNNWwwAM ) 2 1 9 10 LOLLINIINNN233300 1 T7757CLSLSLSSSSS A Pt 8 8 3 2 4 1 8 3 7 1 4 4 2 7 6 COOONNNNNNAAAGS 5 72 8 2 9 4 13 3 13 2 10 00 |
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