Patton hattrick sinks Newcastle Benfield in thriller

A Kyle Patton hattrick helped North Shields to a 4-2 home win over Newcastle Benfield in dreadful conditions at the Daren Persson Stadium.

An early Peter Glen-Ravenhill header helped Benfield off to a fast start.

However, goals from Patton and Scott McCarthy gave the Robins a 2-1 lead at the break.

Dennis Knight drew Benfield level midway through the second period with a powerful finish.

But in added time, Patton struck twice to secure all three points for the hosts.

After an slow start, Benfield took the lead, in the 14th minute, when a deep cross into the box was met at the far post by Glen-Ravenhill, with the former Whitley Bay forward nodding home under pressure.

They came close to doubling their advantage, in the 22nd minute, when former Shields midfielder Ben Richardson struck a free kick from 25-yards-out which cannoned off the crossbar.

Only three minutes later, the Robins drew level when former Benfield attacker Scott McCarthy’s low shot skipped past the outstretched keeper and into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

And with minutes to go until the half time break, the hosts took the lead when Patton’s cross-goal shot evaded everyone, clipping the bottom of the post before nestling into the bottom corner.

Shortly after the restart, Benfield drew level when the in-form Knight hammered a cross from Glen-Ravenhill past the outstretched hand of Purvis and into the back of the net.

The hosts pressed forwards in search of a third goal and in the 71st minute, a great ball from Paul Robinson allowed fullback Chris McDonald a shot on goal, only to see the ball take a critical deflection to take it away from the goal.

Just as it looked like the game would end in a draw, a fantastic through ball from Gary Ormston, in the 93rd minute, allowed Patton to turn his man before beating Benfield keeper Andrew Grainger at his far post.

Things went from bad to worse for Grainger as immediately after the restart, the experienced shot-stopper gifted the ball to Patton, allowing the Shields midfielder the simplest of finishes to end the game.

This result lifts North Shields to fifth in the Ebac Northern League Division One table whilst Newcastle Benfield drop to 11th.