South Shields 5 Garforth 1

Garforth's FA Cup run came to an end as they were heavily beaten by an impressive South Shields.

Toby Wells made a string of top class saves to keep the score down, but Town's effort and commitment to playing football despite the onslaught was at least rewarded with a Curtly Martin-Wyatt consolation.

The Mariners were given far too much space on our right and had registered a shot on target as early as four minutes. Captain Jon Shaw got on the end of Robert Briggs' free-kick to shoot straight at Wells, although the offside flag had been raised. On nine minutes Matthew Partison's strike from the edge of the box was deflected wide, before Wells did well to keep out Joshua Gillies at close range when supplied by Blair Adams' cross. Wells made another great save to push away a Partison strike from the edge of the box two minutes later. Defence and goalkeeper combined to keep us in the game on 18 mins when Shaw's drive was parried by Wells to Gavin Cogden who rounded the keeper and forced a goal-line clearance from Aodhan Brownlee.

On 28 mins Wells brilliantly tipped over the bar Gillies' 20 yard strike, before moments later the same man supplied Cogden who put a glancing header wide of the post. On 33 mins though Town's resistance was broken when the Mariners opened the scoring. Some excellent play down the left ended in Gillies feeding Cogden to sidefoot home past the onrushing Wells. Five minutes later Gillies was unlucky not to make it two when his curling effort rebounded off the far post, but it was two on 41 mins when Adams got on the end of a loose ball 25 yards out to rifle in off the inside of the post. Soon after, Adams had his second when supplied by Gillies in the box to beat Wells with a low finish.

The hosts wasted little time after the break in making it 4-0; fullback Adams beating Wells again to complete his hattrick after being played in by Briggs. Town's first chance of the game finally arrived on 55 mins when good work by substitute Daniel Omosebi ended in Mark Ferguson flicking Brownlee's delivery narrowly wide. On 63 mins however it was five for the hosts when a left wing delivery into the six-yard box was helped on by Cogden to Partison who tucked away at the back post.

A first shot on target for Rob Hunter's team came on 67 mins when Devonte Morton's 20 yard effort was claimed by goalkeeper Liam Connell, but the hosts were soon back down the other end; Wells denying Gillies at the near post. The woodwork was disturbed once more on 73 mins by substitute David Foley who's shot beat Wells at the near post, but four minutes later there was something for Town supporters to cheer when Shaquille Clarke-Adams' deflected corner found Curtly Martin-Wyatt who headed in at close range. Morton had another go from 20 yards out soon after which was dealt with by Cornell at the second attempt.

There was still work to do for Wells in the final ten minutes to prevent a sixth; pushing out a Partison strike from just inside the box, before saving a Foley header from Gillies' corner kick. In injury time Partison could only head wide at the back post a left wing cross, and five was how it stayed.

The odds were always against The Miners facing probably the toughest opponent we could've been drawn against, but they can be proud of their exploits this season after a barren few years for the club in the competition. We're back in league action on Tuesday 11th September when we host neighbours Knaresborough Town (kick-off 7:45pm).