Match Report: South Shields 2-1 Scunthorpe United

South Shields returned to winning ways in the National League North with a two-one victory over second-placed Scunthorpe at the 1st Cloud Arena. 

South Shields opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half when Dylan Stephenson lobbed the Scunthorpe goalkeeper.

The Iron leveled the scoring in the 70th minute courtesy of a Dion Sembie-Ferris header.  

The home side retook the lead in the 80th minute through a second Stephenson goal of the game. 

South Shields named an unchanged team from Saturday’s four-nil defeat against Darlington. And came into the game in 12th place, three points outside the play-off places.  

The visitors started the better of the two teams and had the first real chance of the game in the 12th minute but were denied by Myles Boney who first saved from a deflection off Dillon Morse and then the follow-up from Daniel Elliott from close range. 

The Iron had another chance to open the scoring just minutes later when Sembie-Ferris' cutback from the right-hand side was blazed well over the bar by Kian Scales from just inside the box.  

South Shields went close at the other end in the 22nd minute but Robert Briggs saw his curling effort drift just wide of the post.  

The Mariners had another opportunity in the 35th minute when a mistake from the Scunthorpe backline left Paul Blackett one-on-one with the goalkeeper but the Mariners’ top scorer hit the side netting from a tight angle after rounding Ross Fitzsimons.  

The home side hit the front in the first minute of the second half through Stephenson.

The ball fell to the Newcastle loanee who showed good strength before placing the ball over the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner from well outside the area. 

South Shields came close to doubling their advantage just minutes later when Jordan Hunter played Blackett through but Fitzsimons was equal to the striker's effort from a tight angle. 

The home side continued their strong start to the second half with Briggs testing Fitzsimons with a free kick from just outside the area. 

Scunthorpe brought themselves level in the 70th minute when a cross from the left wing found an unmarked Sembie-Ferris who headed past Boney and into the bottom corner with a diving effort.  

The Mariners’ lead was restored ten minutes from time when Stephenson got his second of the evening by firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the area after a mazy run and lay-off from Blackett. 

The Iron thought they’d brought themselves level in the 88th minute of the game when Tyler Denton’s header found the back of the net, but the left-back was denied by the offside flag.  

Blackett had a chance to secure the three points in the last minute of normal time after he had stripped Will Evans of the ball just outside the Scunthorpe box, but he was denied by Fitzsimons.

Jacob Butterfield came within inches of levelling the scores in the 96th minute but his shot from distance sailed narrowly over the bar.