Carr double steers Robins to sixth straight victory

A Ryan Carr double helped steer the Robins to their sixth win on the bounce, after beating Newton Aycliffe 3-2 at the Daren Persson Stadium.

Liam Jarvie gave the visitors the early lead, beating Greg Purvis with a low shot in the sixth minute.

The Robins responded well, with Carr striking twice to give Shields a one goal lead at the break.

Newton Aycliffe drew level midway through the second half when Dean Thexton converted from close range.

But with the game heading for a draw, debutant Callum Patton beat Adam Pickford with a well-placed strike to secure all three points.

After a slow start, the visitors to made the breakthrough in the sixth minute when Jarvie broke free on goal before passing the ball under the charging keeper.

The Robins were struggling to get going, however, in the 15th minute, an Adam Forster challenge freed Scott McCarthy, only for his shot to skew narrowly wide.

North Shields were beginning to turn the screw and in the 17th minute, Cam Cunningham’s well struck free kick was excellently tipped around the post by the Aycliffe shot stopper.

Moments later, McCarthy once again burst into the penalty area before teeing up Patton, whose strike was well blocked by a diving defender before the ball was ultimately cleared to safety

The Newton Aycliffe defense finally broke in the 24th minute when fullback Chris McDonald picked Carr out with a pin-point cross, leaving the midfielder to power his header past the helpless Pickford.

Shields were now controlling the game and in the 33rd minute, a swinging Cunningham cross met the head of Patton, whose effort was cleared off the line by Marc Costello.

The Robins doubled their lead in the 35th minute, with Patton’s low cross finding Carr unmarked in the centre of the penalty area, before he curled his shot past the rooted keeper.

Midway through the second half the visitors had their equalizer when Thexton slammed the ball home from close range, with the Shields defense calling for offside.

But with the game heading for a draw, substitute Callum Patton sent the home fans wild in the 83rd minute when he collected the ball from the right hand side before tucking the ball into the corner of the net.

The visitors pressed hard for a late equalizer and Connor Phelan almost rescued a draw at the death, but his shot from just inside the area was sliced harmlessly wide.

This result sees North Shields climb to sixth place, while Newton Aycliffe drop one place to seventh.