Match Report: South Shields 1-2 Oxford City

South Shields fell to defeat in a thoroughly dramatic and controversial encounter against Oxford City.

In a largely seamless first half for the hosts, Paul Blackett opened the scoring on seventeen minutes. The impressive Martin Smith picked out Dylan Stephenson with an excellent lofted pass into the area and after Laurie Walker saved the initially well-struck volley, Stephenson collected the rebound and squared to Blackett who tapped home from a couple yards to score his twenty-third of the season and give Shields the early advantage.

Dan Ward started to grab control of the game in midfield once the Mariners went ahead and two excellent moves just after the half hour mark, both involving Ward put Shields very close to doubling their advantage.

The first opportunity was a strike well dug out by Ward that just evaded the post from the edge of the area before a neat interchange with Blackett ended up in a powerful volley which was well kept out by Walker.

As referee Cloussen drew the first half to a close, Shields looked comfortable against an Oxford side winless their previous eight league games until the start of the second half completely turned the game on its head.

Josh Parker went through after Coleby Shepherd sold Tom Broadbent short with a pass just forty seconds into the second half and after Parker went down immediately after Broadbent was adjudged to have pulled him back from racing clear, the referee immediately brandished the red card. Players, staff and supporters of Shields looked incredulous as it seemed, firstly, as if no contact was made, and that Shields looked to have three defenders on hand to cover Parker’s run.

After the red was awarded, Oxford levelled almost immediately after a corner was swung in by Lewis Coyle and looked to have gone in via a touch from Shields’ Stephenson, taking it beyond Kyle Seymour and into the near corner.

After an equaliser which seemed inconceivable at half-time, Shields changed shape quickly and began to regain control of the match with a performance full of grit, class and determination despite the man disadvantage.

The best chance Shields had in a battling second half to grab the three points was through Stephenson, after Robert Briggs had found Ward over the top and his fizzed ball across the face looked for all the world as if his teammate would have a tap-in at the back post. Shields fans watched on in anticipation until the ball kept rolling past the desperate dive of Stephenson, still searching for his first goal in his second spell at the club, as he failed to connect with the cross at the back post.

The game looked to then be petering out to an entertaining albeit controversial draw, until Corie Andrews evaded Smith’s stretched lunge in the area and went down under contact on his ankle. Cloussen pointed to the spot almost immediately and Oxford had the perfect opportunity to head back to the midlands with a rare three points on the road despite Shields’ protests.

Parker stepped up and saw his spot-kick excellently saved by Kyle Seymour to his right before gathering the rebound, sparking pandemonium inside the 1st Cloud Arena. A good height for the teenage keeper, but an excellent save and after City skipper, Josh Ashby caused further controversy by appearing to connect with Seymour on the floor despite the goalie having the ball in his hands, the referee showed yellow rather than red, aggrieving the Mariners but sparking them into life late in the day.

As the fourth official signalled six minutes of added time, it felt after the penalty save there would only be one winner as Shields pressed and earned a sequence of corners after Blackett’s effort was importantly blocked by Chi Ezennolim after Alfie Myers-Smith picked him out after a run from right-back.

Shields failed to convert from these late set-pieces and as they settled for a point, the drama was not yet done as Andrews broke the offside trap on the counterattack and ran through on goal after the hosts had committed bodies. Seymour, the hero just minutes ago, lost his footing and brought down the forward and left the referee with no choice but to award his second penalty of the game and book the Shields goalie deep into added time.

Ashby, booked rather than giving his marching orders for a lash out at Seymour moments earlier, stepped up and calmly converted into the right corner, celebrating with the travelling fans and leaving Shields shell-shocked after seven minutes of added time.

As the referee blew his whistle, there was nothing but admiration for the home side, who had fought a man down and looked to have defied the odds, however, it ended in defeat and leaves Shields thirteenth, with a trip to Leamington on Saturday awaiting them as the play-offs continue to slip away from the Mariners despite the injustices of the night before.

South Shields: Seymour, Carson, Briggs, Broadbent, Shepherd, Smith, Ward (Myers-Smith), Jenkins, Stephenson, Blackett, Crossley (Hughes, 50)

Unused Substitutes: Boney, McGowan, Sloan

Goals: Blackett (17’)

Oxford City: Walker, Burley, Ezennolim, Ashby, Coyle, McEachran, Parker, Scott, Carbon, Roddy (Andrews, 71), Drewe

Unused Substitutes: Vaughan, Potter, Croker, Potman

Goals: Coyle (49’), Ashby (90+6)

Attendance: 1553

Image Credit: Kev Wilson

@KevWilson19