GUISBOROUGH TOWN V SHILDON

FA Cup Preliminary Round

We start the FA Cup run a round late, and today's opponents have already registered wins in the extra preliminary round, Guisborough disposing of Stockton Town and Shildon getting through a tricky tie against Morpeth. Last season’s form places the visitors as favourites as they finished fourth in the Northern League Division 1 whereas the home team escaped relegation on a technicality.

The King George V ground is looking its usual splendid self in the sunshine, tree-lined and nestling under the Cleveland Hills. There has been a bit of churn in the Guisborough playing staff since my last visit but the Shildon side is full of familiar faces, with even the newly signed Anthony Peacock no stranger. What is unfamiliar is Shildon’s away kit of deep purple with lime green trim.

Guisborough’s kick off is novel as they simply boot the ball over the Shildon dead ball line, opting for territory rather than possession. Shildon accept the gift and work their way upfield patiently, but then the ball is cleared long and Guisborough centre forward Mason McNeil out-muscles defender Kyle May to get a run on goal that he completes by blazing a shot high and wide. The warning is unheeded by Shildon and minutes later another long ball, this one well directed inside full back Marc Ellison, opens up a similar path to goal for winger Steven Roberts. He takes a better route and smacks the ball high into the net giving keeper Nick Liversedge no chance.

The home team's early lead (three minutes only gone) doesn’t have time to affect the game as Shildon’s first corner kick, three minutes later is headed unchallenged into goal by Kyle May. What does affect the game midway through the half is a reckless challenge by Guisborough’s Dylan McAvoy that is given a straight red card.

Shildon’s passing game now becomes even easier to execute. Guisborough’s out ball is now one-dimensional to McNeil, as Roberts, much to Ellison’s relief, has to tuck back into midfield. Nevertheless Guisborough hold out to half time with no further damage.

The second half starts with even more fireworks than the first. After a couple of minutes Ellison pushes forward down Shildon’s left and crosses deep. Centre forward Micky Rae decides against a first time volley and instead brings the ball under control before shooting from close range. In truth he scuffs it a bit but hard enough for it to bobble in for a goal. The bad start to the half gets worse when minutes later a ball over the Guisborough defence is brought down by Rae. Instead of making for the goal he pauses to look up as the defenders regroup then, taking the time he is given he unleashes a fierce 25 yard drive that keeper Jordan Nixon gets a hand on but to no effect, the ball continuing its arc into the net.

The defence are shell shocked and a minute later have not recovered when Billy Greulich-Smith (on as a second half Shildon substitute) is given too much time on the right to cross precisely to Adam Burnicle on the penalty spot, from where the latter curls a shot high into the goal.

Three goals in five second half minutes have killed the game, remembering that Guisborough are also a man light. It is another ten minutes before Shildon score again; a through ball enables Peacock to run from deep through a vacant central corridor to skilfully chip the ball over the advancing Nixon and score the fifth goal.

From then on it is a training match. Shildon bring on a couple of youngsters off the bench and Guisborough, to their credit, make the odd excursion into the Shildon penalty area without really threatening. No further goals accrue and it is Shildon who progress to the first qualifying round.