Arngrove Northern League Division One Northallerton Town 0 Shildon 1 NORTHALLERTON Town manager Andy Toman made several changes to the side that beat Darlington RA 4-0 in the FA Vase a week ago for the visit of Shildon in the Arngrove Northern League Division One on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Paul Clements was preferred to Jack Norton, while central defender James Harmsworth was brought in to replace David Hill. New signing Kyle Anderson, from Sunderland Nissan, played up front replacing Craig Toman who was relegated to the bench, while another new signing Andrew Hetherington, also from Sunderland Nissan, was included in the squad as a substitute.

The visitors made a bright start, and they went close to taking the lead in the tenth minute, when a glancing header from Lewis Hardman, following a right wing cross from Dion Raitt, went just wide of the post.

Town replied through a Paul Hinton header, following a Lee Bythway right wing cross, that went inches wide of the post. Then, in the 15th minute, a deep right-wing cross from Anderson was just out of the reach of the stretching Hinton who, if he'd made contact would have surely scored.

A minute later Anderson had a great chance of making a scoring debut when he was put clear by Hinton, but he shot straight at keeper Andrew Spence.

On 22 minutes, Anderson forced keeper Spence into making a great save with a left-foot shot from the left angle of the area, which the keeper did well to push round the post for a corner, which saw James Harmsworth head against the near post.

After surviving this spell of Town pressure, Shildon came more into it and, following a good build up down the right, they went close through Raitt who fired just wide of the post.

Then, in the 30th minute a Raitt right-wing corner was met by Tyson Masters, whose shot beat Clements, but Robbie Bettson was well placed to clear off the line.

The visitors were now having the better of the play, and Clements did well in the 34th minute to keep out a 20-yard drive from Danny Moore. Masters was then just off target for the Railwaymen with a looping header, and just before the break a poor crossfield ball from Harmsworth was intercepted by Karl Everitt, who found Raitt with a forward pass but, from a good position in front of goal, he fired high over the bar.

Town were still up against it at the start of the second half, and their task was made more difficult in the 55th minute when joint leading scorer Paul Hinton was sent off for elbowing an opponent in the face.

However, Town fought back and they were desperately unlucky in the 70th minute when a short free kick from Lee Bythway was met by brother Luke, who hit a vicious 20-yard drive that skimmed the outside of the post with keeper Spence well beaten.

But that was as good as it got for Town, as the visitors made the extra man count, and Clements was forced into making a superb save to his left to keep out a well-struck shot from the prolific Masters.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 82nd minute through Adam Emson, who slotted home from just inside the area following a diagonal ball from the right by Hardman.

Shildon almost added a second in the last minute through Raitt who, following a run from his own half, fired just wide of the post.

Northallerton Town: Clements; Walker (Hetherington); Lee Bythway; Harmsworth; Bettson; Green; Wood; Dodsworth (Toman); Anderson (Earl); Hinton; Luke Bythway Town are on cup duty this Saturday, when they entertain Pontefract Collieries, from the North East Counties League Division One, in the First Round proper of the FA Carlsberg Vase, kick-off 3pm.