FA Vase finalists South Shields secure Northern League title with 33rd win in 34 games

Pic: Andy Nunn

FA VASE finalists South Shields have won the Northern League title after their 33rd win in 34 games at Ashington on Tuesday night.

The Mariners were made to wait after Morpeth scored a late equaliser against them on Saturday, ending their long winning streak which the club claim is a world record.

However, they completed the job at Ashington with a huge travelling contingent in a crowd of over 1,000 spurring them on.

The title was all but confirmed at half time as a first half double from David Foley and a Michael Richardson strike put them 3-0 up at the break.

Although Ryan McGorrigan pulled one back for Ashington in the second period, Gavin Cogdon put the icing on the cake in stoppage time with Shields’ fourth.

Euphoric scenes followed at the final whistle as the Mariners players, management and fans toasted promotion to Step 4.

It capped an almighty turnaround for the club and bosses Graham Fenton and Lee Picton. The Mariners trailed then-leaders North Shields by 17 points at one stage but clawed their way back into the title race with their fantastic winning run.

The club finish their league programme at Guisborough Town on Saturday before gearing up for the Northern League Cup final, Durham Challenge Cup final and FA Vase final.