With only eleven outfield players available, there were three changes to the Stan team which went to Peterlee in search of their first away win of the season. The fans who made their way to the County Durham new town, rather than going to South Shields itself, were not disappointed with what they saw despite the lack of sand and sea.

The early pressure was all from Shields including a header that bounced off the crossbar from a throw-in. The Stan’s first chance did not come until the sixteenth minute when Johnson curled an inviting corner into the penalty area only for Burn to head clear. Two minutes later, after consecutive corners, Shields had the ball in the net from a high header but the linesman flagged for offside.

After isolated efforts at each end a goal eventually came in the thirty sixth minute when the visitors took the lead. Johnson curled a cross into the penalty area and the unmarked Creswick was there to head past make shift Shields keeper Lee Bell

Five minutes later and it was 2-0 to the Stan as Johnson came back from an offside position to win the ball and play a simple pass into Ben Telford He made no mistake in slotting it past the Shields goalkeeper to get his fourth goal in three games.

Despite a couple of late chances for the home side it remained 0-2 at half time. Good goalkeeping by Rule and then good defending by McGarrigal halted two Shields efforts at the start of the second half. This was followed by a save by the home keeper when Creswick poked a shot goal bound from a tight angle. The third goal though came two minutes later in the fifty third minute when the ball was flicked on to Wear who slotted home.

Things became even tougher for Shields on the hour mark when Colin White was sent off for a second yellow card. There were chances for both teams and with fifteen minutes to play the home keeper gifted Heaton Stannington a fourth. A routine pass back came his way and when he swung to boot it, he slipped and made poor connection with the ball. His short kick went straight to Johnson who hit it first time over the stranded goalie to make it 0-4 Shields did not give up and in the eighty fourth minute they pulled one back.

A Smith free kick was lofted into the penalty area and headed down by Sharp to Locke who fired home from close range. With the last chance of the match, Shields pulled a second goal back. When a ball from a corner was put into the penalty area the referee spotted a foul which no-one else saw and pointed to the penalty spot. Smith sent Rule the wrong way. Despite the late rally by the Seasiders it was the Stan who finished 4-2 winners and would be dancing, on any surface, all the way home.

Stan Team: Rule; Telford; James; Dixon, I; McGarrigal; Stoddart; Creswick; Wear; Roberstson; Johnson, L; Weeks (Hoggins).

Unused Sub: Backhouse.

Goals: Creswick 36, Telford 41, Wear 53, Johnson 75.

Yellow Cards: Weeks, Robertson.

Attendance: 56

Report courtesy of Connor, South Shields and edited by K.Mochrie