A massive three points for South Shields as they beat Nantwich Town 3-2 to set up a potential title winner with a win on Monday against Whitby Town.
Robert Briggs opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a looping header, and Dylan Mottley-Henry doubled the lead in the 49th minute.
Lewis Alessandra made it 3-0 with a great finish in the 70th minute but three minutes later Byron Harrison got a goal back with a penalty and made it 3-2 with another one in what was the last kick of the game.
In what was a glorious afternoon at the 1st Cloud Arena South Shields needed the win here to make sure Monday’s clash at Whitby Town is a chance to seal the title.
South Shields started on top and in the 6th minute could have made it 1-0, as Lewis Alessandra dribbled well inside the area and found Briggs but he struck the chance wide.
It was Alessandra’s turn at a chance on goal as he was played through one-on-one, but Thomas Booth was equal to his effort.
The goal came in the 28th minute, with the Mariners on top for the majority of the opening moments.
A ball was delivered in from the right and Briggs looped home a superb effort to fire the League leaders into the lead.
It could have been 1-1 as Myles Boney rushes out to deal with a through ball in the 42nd minute, Nantwich sneaks it through, and the ball is played across the box, but Adams is there to make the clearance.
And it didn’t take long for Shields’ second to come after the break as in the 49th minute, a corner was whipped in which the keeper got a hand of but dropped it and Mottley-Henry was there to poke it into the back of the net.
South Shields remained much on top throughout the remaining moments of the second half, but nothing that testing of the Nantwich backline.
That was until the 70th minute as Mackenzie Heaney played through Jordan Hunter on the right who whipped in a fearsome cross which the Dabbers keeper got a hand to it.
However, that save came straight to Alessandra who finished well to make it three goals to the good.
This 3-0 lead did not last very long as Nantwich got one back from the spot through Harrison just three minutes later.
In the 79th minute, the visitors came close with an effort that rattled the crossbar, but Gary Liddle did well to clear it acrobatically.
Nantwich Town came close to making things interesting in the 88th minute if not for a superb Tom Broadbent goal line clearance.
Sean Cooke got on the end of a follow-up opportunity but Boney claimed it well keeping the score at 3-1.
In what would be the final kick of the game, the referee pointed to the spot for a second time and Harrison stepped up again and slotted home, but the referee then blew for full-time.
A brilliant win for South Shields who earned the three points, setting up the away tie to Whitby Town on Monday as a potential title winner with a win.
South Shields: Boney, Hunter, Adams © (Doherty 83), Liddle, Broadbent, Smith, Heaney, Shokunbi (Newton 23), Alessandra (Osei 74), Briggs, Mottley-Henry. Subs not used: Mongoy, Morse.
Goals: Briggs (28), Mottley-Henry (49), Alessandra (70)
Attendance: 2,764.
Image: Kev Wilson.
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