Shildon manager Gary Forrest says that he is struggling to field a strong team for their third qualifying round replay against Stourbridge on Tuesday night after a deserved goalless draw at Dean Street on Saturday.

The last remaining Northern League team threw four men up front in a valiant attempt to avoid a daunting 450 mile round trip to Worcestershire, but they had to be satisfied with a goalless draw.

“After the game on Saturday, I asked the players who was definitely available for the replay, and only five of the team said that they were,” said Forrest. “We have a big enough squad to put eleven players out, but it might not be my strongest team.

“Four of them are teachers, so I don’t know how they’re going to manage to get time off work. There’ll be quite a few chats no doubt this morning!”

Forrest agreed that his team, which has beaten three clubs from above their status in the FA Cup so far, didn’t start the game well.

“I thought we were nervous, and allowed them to dictate the game. We were direct, but they were more direct than us, so in the second half I told the players to take an extra pass, and that worked.

“In the first half though, Kyle Hayes pulled off a couple of good saves to keep us in the game, but in the second half I thought we were the better team, and if it wasn’t for their keeper, we would have gone through. I thought they tired near the end, and we nearly took advantage.

“I’m disappointed, I thought we did enough to win in the end, but the tie isn’t over yet. My concern is how our players will cope with the long journey in midweek. We’re used to long journeys for Vase games because they are usually Saturday games and we would prepare by going the day before, but this is different altogether.”

Stourbridge looked a better team than Shildon’s last opponents, Stalybridge, and they had several chances to take the lead in the first half. Ben Billingham and Kayleden Brown both pulled shots wide of the target, and Shildon keeper Kyle Hayes dived at the feet of Brown to prevent him scoring after the Shildon defence missed a left wing cross.

Out of the blue, Shildon nearly scored with a long range effort by Micky Rae from way out on the right touchline that hit the crossbar with keeper Dean Coleman stranded, but at the other end Hayes just managed to touch a chip from Billingham over the bar.

Shildon were much better in the second half. Ben Wood found space for the first time in the game to steer the ball against the post, then Coleman pulled off flying saves from a Wood blockbuster, a Rae looping header and a Bobby Moore blockbuster. Wood also fired just over after squeezing past two defenders.

Shildon striker Billy Greulich-Smith said; “We knew it was going to be a tough game and I think that in the first half we found out what a challenge it was going to be.

In the second half I thought we were brilliant and I honestly thought that the lads were a bit disappointed not to have won the game. But we’re still the hat for Monday’s draw and I think we’ve got a good chance of going through in the replay. We know how they like to play now so hopefully we can use that to our advantage.”

Shildon: Hayes, Hodgson, Brackstone, Hudson (sub Emms) , Jones, Craddock, Moore, Scroggins, Rae (sub Connor), Wood (sub Rundle), Greulich-Smith Subs: Graham, Richardson, Ruddy, Harwood