Mark Carruthers: Why South Shields just have the edge over Northern Premier League promotion rivals Morpeth Town

And it all started with THAT FA Vase tie.

No, not that one, not the one that everyone talks about, the one a year earlier.

In January 2016, on a snowy night in Consett (is there any other kind?), Morpeth Town and South Shields finally got to play a third round tie that had been postponed multiple times due to inclement weather throughout the previous month.

When the tie was finally played, the two sides battled their way through a six-goal thriller before Morpeth came through an epic penalty shoot-out and continued their march towards becoming the seventh North East side in eight years to win the Vase.

South Shields would achieve success of their own that year, as they claimed the first promotion of Geoff Thompson’s ownership of the club and they would go on to leapfrog the Highwaymen during a historic quadruple-winning season 12 months later.

Of course, part of that quadruple was the FA Vase, and as anyone that knows anything about North East non-league will tell you, they did indeed overcome Morpeth in controversial circumstances just over a year after that epic night at Consett.

They have both continued to make their way up the non-league pyramid and have both been tipped to continue that journey by securing promotion from the Northern Premier League Premier Division this season.

It would be foolish to judge their prospects based on their first two games of the campaign – but we do know enough about their squad to make a judgement based on what they both possess in their ranks.

South Shields, quite rightly in my opinion, are seen as the bookmakers’ favourites to win the title and secure a fourth promotion in six seasons.

They looked likely to celebrate that achievement earlier this year as they moved 12 points clear of FC United of Manchester before the coronavirus epidemic led to the FA’s decision to declare the season as null and void.

In preparing their squad for the new season, Graham Fenton and Lee Picton have boxed clever in the transfer market.

After adding talented Dutch defender Wouter Verstraaten to their ranks midway through last season, the Mariners managerial duo secured the impressive signing of York City forward Alex Kempster during the summer.

Evolution rather than revolution has been the basis for their recruitment as former loan duo Jordan Hunter and Myles Boney signed permanent deals and both have shown that they are capable of coping in the Northern Premier League and can progress up the pyramid with the Mariners.

Perhaps the biggest change at South Shields came throughout last season as they developed a steelier side to their play in contrast to the silky style of play that has seen them achieve so much over the last five years.

The Northern Premier League is full of sides that are battle hardened at that level and the likes of Grantham Town, Matlock Town and Ashton United all provide pitfalls for clubs looking to progress.

As Mariners captain Jon Shaw suggested in this week’s Northern Goals show, the squad is now capable of matching and overcoming opponents of every style and that is essential to achieve success in one of non-league football’s most challenging divisions.

Morpeth can also boast of a squad capable of mixing up their styles – but perhaps their biggest development of the summer came in the dugout.

Long-serving manager Nicky Gray – a stalwart of their success over the last decade – stepped aside and former Blyth Spartans midfielder Stephen Turnbull stepped into his shoes as he took on his first role in management.

The challenge for Turnbull will be how to make best use of the legacy that Gray left behind when he took the decision to step away.

There is a fascinating mix of players that have helped the club progress from the Northern League, and those that have been brought in with one eye on continuing their push towards to top tiers of the non-league game.

Players like Stephen Forster and Joe Walton plied their trade in the Northern League not so long ago – but they have looked at ease at a higher-level since the Highwaymen secured promotion as runners-up in Division One two years ago.

Quality additions have been made during that time too.

Former Newcastle United under-23s captain Jeff Henderson is one of the North East non-league game’s classiest centre-backs and both Ryan Hutchinson and Dan Lowson have valuable experience of life in the Northern Premier League.

The signing of former Hartlepool United midfielder Liam Noble was as impressive as it was surprising, and this summer has seen Spennymoor Town forward Andrew Johnson and Gateshead midfielder Connor Oliver bring further class to an ever-improving squad.

Of course, South Shields and Morpeth won’t have things all their own way and there are a number of clubs that look well placed to challenge this season.

Buxton, FC United of Manchester, Warrington Town and Basford United have all been tipped as possible challengers for a promotion place.

The Premier Division is far from a two-horse race this season, but it would be a surprise if the North East duo are amongst the frontrunners when the final furlong of the race is reached.

I try not to be a betting man, or least that’s what I tell my better half, but in my opinion, South Shields have the edge with two years’ experience of non-league’s third tier behind them and that is where my money would go.

But Morpeth Town are no longer novices at this level, and their talented squad means that they will certainly be one of the ones to watch in the chasing pack through the months ahead.

A fascinating race lies in wait.

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