PICKERING TOWN V SHILDON

FA Vase 2^nd Round - 12 November 2016

A drive through the cloud shrouded North York Moors is needed to get to this FA Vase second round tie but dropping back down to Pickering, Mill Lane is merely grey and misty. The town centre ground, part of a large sporting complex, is low level but has cover available behind both goals and to one side. The other side, out of bounds to fans, features a tallish wooden fence, beyond which may be a cricket field. The pitch itself has a significant diagonal slope; a corner kick from its high point would already be head high to those in the goalmouth.

The only touch of colour in the gloom is provided by the emerging teams, Pickering Town in blue and Shildon in red, who pause a minute to observe the remembrance silence. A good Northern League team will normally beat a good Northern Counties East team so Shildon may be favourites, but Pickering have home field advantage, and we did see them win at Consett a couple of rounds ago.

Both teams are quickly into stride. A Shildon header goes straight at the keeper, then a Pickering shot fizzes wide. Such exchanges continue for twenty minutes, with Shildon gradually gaining the upper hand. However their normal passing game is then bypassed when a goal kick from Nick Liversedge is headed on by Amar Purewal to centre forward Michael Rae, who shoots into the bottom corner of the net for the archetypical route one goal.

Pickering’s best response is some intricate play in the penalty box that is eventually crowded out. Shildon get better dividends from a long cross from the left when again Rae strikes with a header firmly planted into the goal. Two down is dangerous territory for Pickering but they win a soft free kick 25 yards out. The attempt is blocked by the wall, by someone’s hand claim the home team, but the referee thinks not and play continues.

Five minutes from half time Shildon skipper Daniel “Bobby” Moore, allowed out of the back four today, strides forward from midfield and cracks a shot low into the corner of the net. If two down was dangerous, three down could be terminal, and Pickering go all out to get one back. Centre forward Ryan Blott wriggles free from two defenders and curls a delightful shot that heads for the top corner until keeper Liversedge intervenes with his fingertips. The resultant corner is headed against the bar and then the bouncing ball is hooked just wide.

That is the last action of the half and the late flurry has been Pickering’s best spell, showing they still believe they are in the game. And we have seen Shildon relax from this position before (allowing Newton Aycliffe to score two); mind you we have also seen them run riot (putting seven past Bedlington).

Four minutes into the second half we get an indication of which way it will go. Shildon’s skilful Lewis Wing has tormented all game and he combines well with left back David Ferguson and Bobby Moore to enable the latter to shoot. Keeper Toby Wells saves that one but the rebound comes out to the still lurking Ferguson who hammers it home for Shildon’s fourth.

The edge goes out of Pickering’s play but they still threaten occasionally, forcing a fine save from Liversedge who tips over a header destined for the angle. But as they drop off the pace they give time and space to Shildon who know how to use it. A slide-rule through ball puts Purewal in the clear; his first touch tempts out keeper Wells, and his second slides the ball past him into the net.

There is still fifteen minutes left but the game is mainly going through the motions. Nevertheless Blott continues to plough his centre forward furrow and for the second time twists clear of two defenders to force another save from Liversedge.

There is just time for some more magic from Wing who tries an outrageous chip from forty yards that has Wells furiously backpedalling to his goal line, which he reaches just in time to tip the ball over the bar.

That keeps it at five nil, and the referee decides not to add any time to the ninety minutes, so we can all get off early into the misty night. Pickering have been plucky but outclassed and go out of the Vase; Shildon brought their A game today, which was good enough today and should be enough to take their run deep into the competition.