Match Report: Warrington Town 0-3 South Shields FC

South Shields earned their first win on the road since August with a comprehensive 3-0 victory away at Warrington Town. Mackenzie Heaney, just days after his red card against Radcliffe was rescinded, produced a remarkable individual display, capped with a goal and two assists as he tore the opposition to pieces throughout the ninety in what was an impressive and much-needed three points for the Mariners.

A thrilling opening fifteen minutes saw Warrington make the first opening as forward, Josh Amis, failed to convert when played through on goal by Connor Woods. The hosts lived to regret not making the most of their early endeavour as Heaney’s inviting cross from the right was left untouched as it dumbfounded Dan Atherton and found the net after Paul Blackett, stood onside, ducked underneath the in-swinging delivery. Just one minute after the opener, Will Jenkins’ defence-splitting pass found the onrushing Joe Richards who forced a corner down the right. The resulting set-piece was taken by the superb Heaney and powerfully headed home at the back post by Dillon Morse to double the Mariners’ lead. In a breathless game with no rest bite, merely seconds after Shields had doubled their lead, referee, Liam Corbett, adjudged Morse to have won the ball fairly in a strong challenge on Amis. Despite the protests, he waved away the strong penalty shout as Warrington looked to find an immediate route back into the contest.

It then might have been three-nil in a scintillating five-minute spell from the away side as Heaney caused further problems in his advanced role and his cross found the head of debutant, Lucas De Bolle, who, unmarked, headed over from six yards on seventeen minutes. Shields needn’t have worried, though, as Heaney’s work for the afternoon was not yet done. A crisp interchange between the back three freed up Heaney on halfway who’s through ball was met by Paul Blackett who never looked like missing. Last season’s league top scorer ran through and whipped the ball into the top right corner, leaving Atherton with no chance and notching his first goal back after a month on the sidelines.

The travelling Shields fans were in dreamland with three quick goals in a frantic half an hour of football. Whilst it initially appeared an open contest, the away side were electric on the break, with the pace and guile of Heaney and Blackett perfectly complimenting the incisive passing into midfield, with the ever-willing wingbacks achieving plenty of joy on the flanks. Heaney came within an inch of making it four on thirty-four minutes as he created his own space with some sharp footwork on the edge of the area and rifled a well-hit strike against the crossbar. Moments later, he was at it again and burst into the box, drawing a risky challenge as the flying forward went down but the referee waved the second strong penalty claim of the afternoon away. The only blight on a wonderful half of football was Coleby Shepherd’s enforced substitution just before half-time as the impressive wing-back limped off in place of Kyle Crossley.

As the second half got underway, Elliott Dickman’s men resisted any attempt of a Warrington comeback, reducing their tricky midfield of Matty McDonald and Mikey O’Neill to openings of no real note thanks to a superb captain’s display from Robert Briggs both in the back three and stepping into midfield as the game progressed. Kyle Crossley’s superb break down the left, leaving three Warrington players in his wake before seeing his ball flash across the face of goal, was Shields’ best moment of the second half in which they produced a professional defensive display after a free flowing first forty-five. Myles Boney was made to work for his third clean-sheet of the season as he smartly denied Connor Woods from close-range after a smart-break from the home side and after Joe Rodwell-Grant’s header in the dying embers trickled wide, Shields knew they were taking three points back to Tyneside.

The Mariners welcome King’s Lynn Town to the 1st Cloud Arena next weekend as they look to close the gap on the play-off places to just one point in their final home match until November 30th. The month of November has started with aplomb, though, with a clean-sheet, free-flowing football and talisman Blackett back in the goals. Things certainly are looking up for Shields as they enter the winter period of the season.

Warrington Town: Atherton, White (Southern, 45), Harris (Dixon, 54), Woods, O’Neill (Rodwell-Grant, 83), Amis (Amaral, 83), McDonald, Bennett, Douglas, Miles, Clarke

Unused Substitutes: Halford

South Shields: Boney, Richards, Shepherd (Crossley, 45+1), Broadbent, Morse, Briggs, Mee, Jenkins (Hodgson, 90+1), Heaney, Blackett (Bramwell, 70), De Bolle (Dudik, 57)

Unused Substitutes: Seymour

Goals: Heaney (12’), Morse (14’), Blackett (26’)

Attendance: 943

Image credit: Kev Wilson

(@KevWilson19)