WEDNESDAY 21ST NOVEMBER SHILDON 1-1 BILLINGHAM SYTHONIA
 

TEAM,sPENCE, HOWARTH, MENDUM, CLARKE, PTAK, CLOUGH, MOORE, RAITT, MASTERS, GREDZIAK, NIVEN
SUBS - EMSON, BULLYMENT, COWAN, JURY.

Both sides started the game quietly and neither threatened in the first 10 minutes.  Masters had the first chance of the game in the 11th minute when he broke free on the right hand side and shot early, his shot went wide. Masters was in action again in the 17th minute when fired the ball goal wards, it was intercepted by a Billingham defender just before it reached Gredziak who was arriving on the left hand side. Shildon piled the pressure on the home side who didn't really look like scoring.  Howarth was next to have a go, he shot from a wide right position but didn't get enough power on the ball to trouble Jackson in the Synthonia goal.  2 minutes later Howarth had another shot hit the side netting.  Billingham forced a save out of Spence in the 32nd minute which was their first real attempt of the game.  Against the run of play in the 33rd minute the home side took the lead.  Clarke managed to clear the ball off the line when Spence was beaten but Flanagan pounced on the rebound and put the ball past the Shildon keeper to put the home side ahead.  Despite being a goal down Shildon were still the better side and continued to  push forward and create chances. Moore was unlucky in the dying stages of the first half when his ball into the area hit the post.  The first half whistle can and Shildon went in at half time a goal behind.

HALF TIME  Billingham Synthonia 1 - 0 Shildon

In the early stages of the 2nd half Shildon were put under pressure from the home side but they defended well and kept their composure and managed to ride out the period of Billingham attacking play.  In the 62nd minute the Railwaymen came close when Bullyment hit a good ball through a crowd of players in the Synners penalty area from a Niven corner, the ball went only inches wide.  Straight after this chance Moore hit a shot just wide.  Shildon got the breakthrough they deserved in the 73rd minute when Niven's shot parried by the keeper straight into the path of Masters who slotted the ball coolly into the back of the net. Jackson in the Synner's goal kept them in the game in the 75th minute when Masters was in action again. His shot was saved by the keeper and went out for a corner which came to nothing.  In the 84th minute Shildon looked like they should have had a penalty when a Billingham player handled the ball in the area, the referee didn't agree and waved away the Shildon shouts.  Shildon played some excellent passing football in the second half and can think themselves unlucky to have came away with just point but they are much improved from the side who were well beaten at Salford.

FULL TIME  Billingham Synthonia 1 -1  Shildon

MATCH STATS

BOOKINGS
NONE

GOALS
MASTERS 73 MINS

SUBS
BULLYMENT FOR GREDZIAK 21 MINS
JURY FOR CLOUGH 85 MINS