Shildon AFC took full advantage of Bishop Auckland’s day off from league duty and a slip up by league leaders, Birtley Town to thump Carlisle City 0-6 and catapult themselves to the top of the Northern League Division One table.
Joe Posthill was once again the star of the show, scoring four goals in his march to the man of the match award. City were themselves just two points behind Shildon at the start of play, but what could have been a tricky trip across the Pennines proved a stroll in the park for the rampant Railwaymen.
As has been their wont this season, Shildon got off to a speedy start, with Posthill scoring twice in the opening twenty minutes. It took until after the hour mark for the deadly forward to notch his and Shildon’s third, but three more arrived by the end of play, including a fourth for Posthill with the final kick of the game.
It took just seven minutes for the captain to open the scoring, collecting a sqaure pass on the edge of the box before moving the ball onto his left foot and striking past the despairing dive of Scott Simons in the home goal. Fifteen minutes later the lead was doubled, with Posthill this time bamboozling his defender before hammering an unstoppable right-foot shot into the roof of the net.
The forward then gave City some respite before meting out further punishment just after the hour, turning on the afterburners before being cleaned out in the box and stepping up to dispatch the spot kick – the third he has won and converted in the last two games.
Luke Spalding decided to get in on the act with fifteen minutes to play, beating the keeper at his near post after a poor goal kick left him scrambling. Further poor concession of the ball in midfield allowed Shildon to break with pace in the 85th minute, providing Andrei Ardelean the easiest of tap-ins as the visitors went nap. But there was still time for Posthill to cap off an outstanding perfomance with the final say. Once again his pace left the defence for dead and with just the keeper to beat, he casually sidefooted past the helpless Simons.
Shildon remain unbeaten in the league and with the best defensive and scoring records in the division. This week they will put those records to the test against lowly Boro Rangers at Dean Street. Meanwhile, Shildon have been drawn at home against Jarrow in the first round of this season’s Durham Challenge Cup with the tie to be played in the week preceding 14 October.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
