GRAHAM Fenton admitted that Witton Albion’s plan to thwart South Shields on Saturday almost worked.

The Mariners’ co-manager said a victory was all that mattered at the start of a new season after Carl Finnigan’s late header settled the outcome.

He added: “Three points is what we wanted.

“Witton were hard to break down; they played five at the back with three guys in front of them, and from the first few minutes they wanted to waste time.

“I don’t mind that though, and that’s what teams will come and do here.

“They made it difficult, although we didn’t move the ball sharply enough to create for them enough problems.”

Finnigan converted a cross from skipper Robert Briggs to put the home team in front in the moments before half-time.

However James Foley levelled early in the second-half from the penalty spot after he had been sent tumbling to the floor by contact with goalkeeper Liam Connell.

Tom Owens failed to take a glorious opportunity to put Albion in front before South Shields applied pressure while searching for a second goal.

It arrived with eight minutes left when the front man nodded in Josh Gilles’ centre.

Fenton added: “We’ve not been in great form in the past couple of friendlies, and it’s impossible to turn it on straightaway in the first game.

“Instead we told each player to go out there and look after his own performance.

“We were after a result, and got one.”