With two more debutants making their bow, Town remain a work in progress and the search for a successful formula has seen 36 players wearing their colours so far this season.

Player turnover will surely settle down in the months ahead and the management team will be encouraged by how well defender Liam McNamara and midfielder Finn Davies, both ex-Whickham, integrated with their new team-mates. The new boys replaced Ben Creamer and Freddie Beasley, who reverted to the bench.

Northallerton were compact and well-organised against one of the league’s form teams in the first half and were on course to inflict a follow-up victory on Shields’ home turf following their 1-0 victory there almost a year to the day.

The partnership up front between Lewis Martin and Eddie Thomas looks highly promising and they gave Shields plenty to think about in the early stages, with Martin firing wide after a neat pass by Mackenzie Crooks on 10 minutes.

The home side missed a string of good opportunities to go ahead and were punished seconds before the half-time whistle when Martin gave Northallerton the lead following a quick break upfield. He powered past his marker before unleashing a strong shot that ‘keeper Callum Elliott diverted on to a post and into the net.

It was one-way traffic after the break as Shields piled forward in search of the equaliser, which came through centre-forward Dan Wilson after 58 minutes as he buried a right-wing cross.

Both sides made a raft of substitutions, with Northallerton bringing on some fresh young legs in an attempt to stem the tide. But it was Shields replacement Reece Wanless who had the biggest impact by scoring a quick-fire double in the 75th and 83rd minutes.

Elliott made a good stop from Town substitute Max Naylor in the final minutes during a rare attack by the visitors.

“We showed good signs, particularly in the first half, but we still have lots to work on,” said manager Jamie Poole. “I couldn’t be prouder of the way we played early on and the next stage is to maintain that form for the whole game.”

North Shields: Elliott, Suddick, Adams (Lough 85), Turnbull, Bexton, Sloan, Holmes (Mason 82), Forster (Wanless 74), D Wilson (Lish 86), Hall (Sampson 46), Ogbewe.

Northallerton Town: Fairless, C Wilson, Crooks, Boucher, Littlefair, McNamara, Kilpatrick (Alderson 74), Hopson (Creamer 65), L Martin (Bramley 82), Thomas (Naylor 65), Davies.

Sub not used: Beasley.

Att: 334.