A promising opening minute by Brigg resulted in an attack down the left wing from where the ball was pulled back to the edge of the penalty area but comfortably cleared.
Owen Vincent was on the end of a pass played down the middle by Steve McCarron but his shot was well saved. Shirebrook began to see more of the ball and won a corner kick on the left following up with it being delivered across the face of the Brigg goal.
Scott Hutchinson’s low shot was really well saved by the Shirebrook ‘keeper Warren Squires who then followed this up by holding on to a sharp header inside his area.
From a quick counterattack in the twentieth minute, the visitors opened the scoring when Aaron Sennett-Neilson advanced further into the penalty area before firing a shot past Adam Hewitson.
Brigg were unlucky when Ryan Thompson’s strike rebounded off the woodwork and then foiled by another good save from a right-wing attack.
Dec Bacon sent a fierce drive over the crossbar and Squires continued to keep his team ahead by making a string of excellent saves.
Despite their lengthy spells of possession, Brigg failed to find the back of the net before the teams went in at half time with Shirebrook holding on to their single-goal lead.
The second half continued in much the same way as the first with the home team continuing to press but unable to find a telling shot to beat the goalkeeper until the fifty-eighth minute when Declan Bacon took possession of a long kick from Hewitson straight down the middle of the pitch before rounding the ‘keeper and finding the back of the net.
At this stage, Brigg looked as though they would get something more from the game and Vincent was close to putting them ahead with a chipped effort going just over the bar.
Unfortunately, the referee awarded a soft penalty to the opposition after seventy minutes for a tackle made in the corner of the penalty area. Despite Hewitson going the right way, Liam Hardy’s low strike found the corner of the net, restoring Shirebrook’s lead.
Brigg continued to press for an equaliser but were kept out by firm defending, excellent goalkeeping and game management.
Steve McCarron’s thirty-yard shot flew past the upright and another effort went narrowly over the bar. Despite the Zebras’ best efforts, Shirebrook held onto their lead until the final whistle.
Next Saturday, Brigg travel across the Pennines to the Rossendale Valley to face Bacup Borough in the F.A. Challenge Vase competition.