Shildon AFC vs Birtley Town

Recap

Birtley fell to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Shildon AFC in their final away game of 2024/5. 

The Hoops entered the game with survival secured and with little to play for at Dean Street. With no recognised forward players available, James Proctor was selected upfront with support from Luke Carr. It was Shildon who started the brighter of the two sides. Nathan Greenwood cut inside from the left but his effort could only find the side netting. Ben Reay took a lovely simulated tumble in the area on 4 minutes and the referee waved away any suggestion of a penalty. Alfie Gordon denied a Leighton Harris strike while at the other end with a tame Luke Carr free-kick easily saved by Jennison. 

The midway part of the first-half became a scrappy affair with no real side able to create anything meaningful. Adam Lennox continued to cause problems for Birtley but was well marshalled by Jack Honour and Callum Turnbull. At the other end Sam Dinsley was enjoying an advanced role and James Proctor continued to cause problems with his pace. It was Lennox who had the best chance of the first half but he dragged his shot wide. 

Half-Time | Shildon AFC 0-0 Birtley Town

Buoyed by their first-half performance Birtley looked to grow into the same in the 2nd period but Adam Lennox quickly had other ideas. He broke free to the left of the goal and unleashed a brilliant low effort beyond the reach of Alfie Gordon. Birtley had their best chance of the game on 63 minutes as James Proctor steadied himself in the area before forcing Andrew Jennison into a fine save. Shildon doubled their lead after Adam Lennox was on hand to tap home after a fine save from Alfie Gordon. The Shildon striker looked to be in an offside position following the initial effort but despite heavy protests the goal was awarded. 

Birtley had a brilliant opportunity to claw themselves back into the game as James Proctor played in substitute Reece Harrison. Harrison blazed over the bar from close range as the game was slipping away from the Hoops. Ben year completed the scoring as he scored a third for Shildon in the dying moments. The 3-0 score line was harsh on a Birtley side who worked hard for a way back into the game after falling behind. There can be no arguments about the outcome of the game as Birtley will look to bounceback in their final game of the season next week when they host struggling Seaham Red Star. 

Full-Time | Shildon AFC 3-0 Birtley Town

A win for Redcar over Blyth Town meant that the Northern League Division One title makes it’s way to Cleveland, Shildon will now host another play-off rival in the semi-final. At the other end of the table, defeat for Seaham left them needing a win over Birtley on the final day of the season to stand any chance of survival. 

Player of the match – Alfie Gordon

Attendance – 248

H2H vs Shildon (at Shildon)
P3 W1 D0 L2 GF4 GA9

Next up…

Birtley host Seaham Red Star in their final game of the 24/25 season. Kick-off on Saturday is 3pm.