GRAHAM Fenton, South Shields’ joint-manager, was left with a handful of regrets as his side’s FA Cup run was ended.

After victories over York and Darlington, the Mariners were unable to make it a hat-trick of wins over former Football League teams as Hartlepool United progressed into tonight’s first round draw.

The Evo-Stik North side took a first-half lead, and then could have added two more before the break.

But they failed to convert their chances and Pools regrouped to turn the game around in the second-half.

“We have caused them real problems first-half and, with the rub of the green, we could have been two or three up,’’ mused Fenton.

“That would have been a different story, but they are a full-time professional team and once they got ahead we only created one good chance and they saw it out pretty comfortably.

“We were one-up and had chances for more. The keeper made good saves and on another day we could maybe have had a lead of two of three at half-time.

“We opened them up in the first-half a lot more than they did us and only a sloppy goal to make it 1-1 has cost us.’’

This was only Shields’ second defeat in 52 games as they progressed further than before in the FA Cup.

And Fenton added: “We are obviously progressing as a football club and we are doing well in the league, we just know we are close to knowing where we need to be to get to the next level, and then the next level.

“We are big ambitions and this has shown we aren’t embarrassed playing against a team from a higher division.

“The regret is we weren’t out of sight by half-time. Apart from long-range shots they didn’t really open us up and it took a worldie free-kick to beat us.

“On balance of clear-cut chances we probably pipped it – against a team three levels higher you have to take them.’’

Victories over the Quakers and the Minstermen were big statements of intent for the Tyneside club, who won four trophies last season.

“The FA Cup has been good to us, we have really enjoyed the run,’’ added Fenton. “Hopefully it just whets the players’ appetites for more success. We haven’t made the first round and that could be a goal for us next season.

“We deserved to beat both York and Darlington in the competition – they weren’t flukes, so we are heading in the right direction and progressing all the time.’’