Winning start for new Shildon manager

Shildon AFC’s new manager, former Marske United head coach, Ian Clark has made a winning start to his tenure at the club. 

Although in the stands for Saturday’s 4-0 home defeat to Carlton Town, Clarke did not take over his official duties until the following day.

He was in charge for the first time on Tuesday night, when the Railwaymen recorded just their second league win of the season, scoring their first goal in seven games.

Statement

A statement on the club website announcing the appointment said:  “Shildon AFC is delighted to announce the appointment of Ian Clark as First Team Manager.

“Ian is a former professional footballer who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League playing for Doncaster Rovers, Hartlepool United and Darlington.  

“He also played for Scarborough, Stockton, Harrogate Town, Gateshead, Spennymoor United, Norton & Stockton Ancients, Horden Colliery Welfare, Guisborough Town and Thornaby.

“Most recently Ian was Assistant Manager at Marske United, helping them gain promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division in the 2021/22 Season.

Delighted

“Ian commented on his appointment:  ‘I am absolutely delighted to be asked to manage Shildon AFC.  This is a fantastic opportunity to first and foremost move Shildon away from the bottom of the league but then to try and create a structure and legacy for the club to move forward.  

‘It was a hard decision to leave Marske as they have been a big part of my life for the last 7 years.  

‘I can’t thank the club enough and I hold the staff there in the highest regard, leaving Carl
[Jarrett] (who is by far the best Manager and friend I have worked with and learnt so much from) was such a big decision, and if I am half as successful we will be on the right track.  

‘I would like to thank all the players I have worked with past and present for their hard work and dedication as they were a huge part in the success we had.  However, it is a new chapter and one I can’t wait to get started. 

‘The ambition for Shildon AFC is huge and I want everyone from the whole club to pull together and to play their part.  

‘There is a good cohort of players who did very well last season and we need to get them playing back to that level, enjoying their football and ultimately winning games’”.

Assistant

The statement also confirmed that Chris Hughes will continue as Assistant Manager with Alex White continuing as Player/Coach.  

Shildon Chairman, David Dent added: “Firstly, I would like to thank Alex, Chris, Chay [Liddle] and Ben [Trotter] for helping the club over the past few weeks. It’s massively appreciated.  

“I’m absolutely delighted to have secured the services of Ian who understands the potential of the club and wants to play a part over the next few years in realising our ambitions.  

“From our first conversations I was impressed with his knowledge of players and the Northern Premier League, his coaching acumen, but more importantly his desire to win games of football.  

“His first target is to get us up the league and then we will jointly develop our plan to take the club onto another level, both on and off the pitch.”

Watching brief

Clark took a watching brief of his new charges on Saturday as Carlton Town provided the opposition at Dean Street. 

However, the result replicated that of recent weeks, with the visitors comfortably sweeping the hosts aside in a 4-0 win.

Shildon’s Wilson Kneeshaw hit the post in the fifteenth minute, but it was Kyle Tomlin who opened the scoring for the Nottinghamshire side midway through the first half.

Ryan Tait was given all the time he needed to find Tomlin in the box, who fired home when the ball fell back at his feet after his initial header was blocked.

Shildon remained in the game until the final quarter and had claims for a penalty waved away before the visitors doubled their lead in the 73rd minute. 

A ball over the top found  Bradley Wells who placed his left-footed shot in the keeper’s bottom right corner from the edge of the box. 

Three minutes later, Aaron O’Connor put the result beyond doubt, smashing past Matthew Bateman after being left alone at the back post.

Tomlin completed the home side’s misery with his second and his side’s fourth in the final minute. 

Post match

After the match, the new manager admitted that the side’s perfomance was poor and there is work to be done. 

“We wouldn’t need a new manager if we were doing well,” he said.

“You can see that the lads’ confidence is on the floor at the moment, and we’ve got to find a way of lifting that. 

Winning start

“The first goal in any game is massive,” he said, acknowledging the side’s run of six games without scoring. “If we can get the first goal, you’ll see the difference it makes to confidence.”

And so it proved on Tuesday night when, in the 43rd minute, Joe Posthill slid the ball under Ossett United keeper, Ed Hall to score the game’s only goal and provide the new manager with a winning start. 

The win provides a much-needed boost for the beleagured Railwaymen, doubling their points tally for the season. 

Shildon travel to Tadcaster this Saturday to take on an Albion side which is one of just three below them in the table.