South Shields 0-2 Forest Green Rovers: Connor Wickham scores from halfway line

A stunning Connor Wickham strike from the halfway line sealed victory for Forest Green Rovers as they withstood a gutsy performance by Northern Premier League side South Shields to progress into the second round of the FA Cup.

Seventh-tier South Shields were outclassed by a League One side 78 places above them in the first half and trailed to Wickham’s untidy close-range finish from Corey O’Keeffe’s exquisite cross.

The Mariners played with far greater urgency in front of a noisy record home crowd of almost 4,000 after the break and had several excellent opportunities to level, most notably through a Michael Woods header and a Blair Adams strike which hit the outside of the post.

A delightful late dipping volley by Tom Broadbent also went agonisingly wide but Rovers, who are 23rd in the third tier and have won just three league games all season, made sure of the win in the final seconds of added time when Wickham spotted keeper Myles Boney off his line and scored with a outrageous lob.

Wickham’s sensational second goal was a fitting way to end an enthralling cup tie at the 1st Cloud Arena but the result was harsh on the hosts following their second-half display.

As the only full-time team in the seventh tier, and with a sizeable sprinkling of Football League experience among their numbers, South Shields were perhaps not as big an underdog as they first appeared.

Kevin Phillips’ side have lost just once in the league this season, winning seven of their 12 games, and would be top of the table if they won their games in hand.

And their chances of reaching the FA Cup second round for the first time in their history certainly looked decent as they more than held their own in the early stages, with the competition’s top-scorer Dylan Mottley-Henry a lively presence who always looked capable add to his five goals from his side’s four qualifying rounds.

But they failed to build on an encouraging opening and failed to muster an attempt on target in the first half, with the visitors dominating possession and having the better chances.

The best one saw a slick move free the impressive O’Keeffe on the right and the wing-back’s delightful curling cross was so good that even though ex-Ipswich, Sunderland and Crystal Palace forward Wickham mistimed his header, the ball easily beat keeper Boney via his shoulder.

Former England and Sunderland striker Phillips looked slightly agitated by his side’s first-half display and during a quick pitchside BBC One interview at half-time said they gave their opponents too much respect.

Former Sunderland and England striker Kevin Phillips was appointed South Shields boss in January

The players responded on the resumption, pressing higher up the pitch, playing with much greater urgency and denying Rovers time on the ball. It almost brought instant rewards when Woods, once on the books of Chelsea, sent a header a fraction wide from Conor Newton’s tantalising cross.

Woods also took a heavy touch when trying to improve on an already decent shooting position and was crowded out after more great work by Mottley-Henry, while Rovers keeper Lewis Thomas was finally tested by a Dillon Morse header that he had little trouble in stopping.

The pressure continued and the hosts came even closer when Adams got in behind the Rovers defence on the left but saw his low strike hit the outside of the post.

But with away nerves still jangling after Broadbent’s volley, Wickham’s audacious attempt ensured Forest Green’s victory – their first since they beat Billericay 4-0 in the first round in 2019.

Line-ups South Shields

Formation 3-4-1-2

1Boney

5Morse4Liddle3Broadbent

2Newton6Smith8Woods11Adams

10Heaney

7Mottley-Henry9Alessandra

Substitutes

Forest Green

Formation 3-4-1-2

24Thomas

3Bernard5Casey6Cargill

2O’Keeffe8Hendry27Bunker11Boyes

10Little

21Wickham14Matt

Substitutes

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