Team to Watch - South Shields

A team to watch; but not for positive reasons. Expectations are high in the North East this season, with full time outfit South Shields really expected to kick on this season. They finished just 1 point outside of the playoffs last season, and with a string of impressive additions over the summer, the belief was that, at the very least, they would make the next step and reach the top 7. That so far however has proven difficult, with defeats in both of their opening games leaving them with a gap to bridge already. And if pre season expectations being high isn’t enough pressure, South Shields’ ruthless nature will worry manager Elliott Dickman. They did get lift off during the week, a narrow 2-1 victory against a little fancied Warrington Town side enough to get them some points on the board; although things did look bleak when they went behind on 17 minutes. The South Shields decision makers dismissed former manager Julio Arca last season; when Shields sat in 8th place. They won’t take as much as that to make a decision again this season.

🚨 NEXT MATCH

🆚 @OxCityFC
🏟️ Court Place Farm
🗓️ Saturday 24th August
⏰ 3PM KO
🏆 @TheVanaramaNL North
🎟️ https://t.co/6NsP9ZRBao#SSFC | #AlwaysReady pic.twitter.com/kuaTrFlS9U

— South Shields FC (@SouthShieldsFC) August 22, 2024

Player to Watch - Bobby Jones

Last season, Curzon Ashton had one of the best keepers in the league in Cameron Mason. His performances were met with warranted attention, which ultimately led to his move to one of the title favourites, Chester. He left big gloves to fill, but so far 22 year old stopper Bobby Jones has made a good fist of it. The former Irish youth international kept a clean sheet on the opening day, followed by another in mid week, and after 3 games he has made more saves than any other keeper at Step 2 level. He also ranks 2nd for crosses claimed, so despite having relatively little senior experience to speak of, Jones has made a very bright start to the season for Curzon. They certainly know how to pick their keepers.

👌🏼💙 pic.twitter.com/1oMVsRaCYH

— Bobby Jones (@bobbyyjoness_) August 21, 2024

Hot Prospect - Ashton Fox

Young central defenders are often highlighted when it comes to non league football. After all, it’s a position which requires so much experience and nous, so when a young player steps into that role, and does it well, it often leads to attention from higher up. Dan Ellison made over 30 appearances for Chippenham last season, which earned him a move to League 1 Bristol Rovers. So it seems bizarre that not only very few people mention Ashton Fox in the same conversations, but also the fact that Fox’s 42 appearances actually led to his release from a League 1 side, Peterborough United, quite the opposite to the aforementioned Ellison. Fox is just as composed though, and is a defender who plays with maturity that belies his years. He’s made his loan move to Peterborough Sports permanent this season, and is likely to be a key player at the heart of their defence yet again. If he makes as many appearances as he did last season, surely he will start to get the attention he deserves.

Game of the Week - Scunthorpe v Chorley

A clash between the sides who finished 2nd and 4th last season, this one promises to be a high quality affair. The pair scored 165 goals between them last season, and whilst Chorley haven’t quite found their shooting boots as of yet, Scunthorpe have been incredibly strong in front of goal, starting the season with back to back 3-0 wins. That includes a 3-0 win away at Brackley, who not only finished 2nd last season, but a side who also only conceded 37 goals in 46 games. The Iron look a real threat under new boss Andy Butler, but he will have a stern test against experienced operator Andy Preece. The return fixture last season also ended 3-0, which is becoming a familiar scoreline for Scunthorpe fans, but Preece will be confident of getting one over on his inexperienced counterpart.

📖 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐄: 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐲 (𝐇)

The latest edition of "Unity" has arrived, and will be on sale from the club shop tomorrow ahead of Saturday's game 👉 https://t.co/jGrVtfN0XY

Get your copy online now, with a click and collect option also available 👉… pic.twitter.com/CQEPFqvkSC

— Scunthorpe United FC (@SUFCOfficial) August 22, 2024