South Shields run of no defeats comes to an end as Paul Ennis and Mike Pott’s strikes cancel out Tom Broadbent’s header as FC United win 2-1.
Tom Broadbent headed home the opener just five minutes into the game in what was the only goal of the first half.
Paul Ennis then equalised for the travelling side in the 46th minute and Mike Potts scored their second to put them into the lead in the 70th minute.
It didn’t take long for the scoring to be opened as Broadbent put away a perfect cross from Lewis Alessandra, from a short corner, just five minutes into the game.
Alessandra nearly got on the scoresheet himself a minute later, as he won his header in the area, but his effort was straight at Dan Lavercombe in goal for FC United.
The away side’s first real chance of the evening came in the 15th minute, through Max Cane who had a strike saved by Myles Boney that was ready to sail into the bottom corner.
In the 21st minute, Dylan Mottley-Henry used his pace to get in behind the defence and play it to Michael Woods whose strike was equal to the keeper at the near post – great chance to make it 2-0.
Luke Griffiths had an opportunity for an equaliser for the travelling side, breaking away on the counter but his strike was easily dealt with by Boney in the 35th minute.
FC United of Manchester should have got an equaliser in the 43rd minute as Dontai Gabidon was sent away one-on-one following a clearance from a corner but the forward attempted to lift it over Boney and got it all wrong.
That was the last real action of the second half and the Mariners went into the tunnel the happier of the two sides.
FC United came out from the break with a point to prove and skipper Ennis equalised as he dribbled his way into the Shields box and put away a great effort into the far corner.
Robert Briggs had a chance to put his side back into the lead in the 59th minute but his effort was denied by some tidy defending.
Two minutes later, FC United were up on the other end and James Vincent almost got a second for his side, but he dragged his chance wide, the away side grew into the game in the second half.
Things went from bad to worse as Mike Potts, off the bench headed home a corner to fire FC United into the lead in the 70th minute.
Five minutes later Lavercombe kept his side in the lead as Blair Adams delivered a perfect ball into the path of the oncoming Michael Woods who struck a venomous half-volley that was expertly saved and behind for a corner.
South Shields won a freekick in a dangerous position after a foul on Joao Gomes off the bench in the 78th minute, but Mackenzie Heaney’s delivery only found a FC United head.
Jordy Mongoy almost found a way through in the 80th after he met a Jordan Hunter cross, but he couldn’t keep his opportunity down.
Briggs’ cross was too high as it sailed over everyone’s heads in the 88th minute as Kevin Phillip’s side desperately pushed for an equaliser.
But that never came and FC United travelled home from North Tyneside with all three points in the bag.
South Shields can look to put it right in their next game which is an away tie to Hyde United.
South Shields: Boney, Hunter, Adams (c), Liddle, Broadbent, Woods, Heaney, Briggs, Osei, Alessandra (Mongoy 62), Mottley-Henry (Gomes 62). Subs not used: Smith, Shokunbi, Doherty.
Goals: Broadbent (5).
Attendance: 2519.
Image: Kev Wilson.
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