2006/7 Northern League Division 1
Horden CW 1 : Bishop Auckland 0
30 September, 2006
Team: Chris Porter, Steve Larkin, Steven Baynes, Paul Collins, Nicky Mohan (Chris Lynch 18 mins), Matthew Coad, Levent Yalcin, Dan Newby, Gavin Parkin, Richie Storr (Steven Winspear 19 mins, Andrew Fletcher 55 mins), Bryan Stewart
A late call from Scaife to announce his unavailability due to illness set the tone for the day. Chris Porter made his debut in goal covering for the suspended Collinson and Steve Larkin returned after a long absence.
The first real event of the game was Richie Storr going down injured, and Bishops played with ten men for several minutes before he was able to return to the fray. When the substitute board went up on 18 minutes, it was a surprise to see Mohan leave the field to be replaced by Lynch. A minute later Storr joined him, with Winspear making a welcome return but the disruption did little to help Bishops game.
On 22 minutes Bishops had a clear penalty turned down when Horden's No.2 patted the ball out for a corner. The adjacent linesman missed this one.
Three minutes later Bishops had a great chance when Newby's quick run and pass found Parkin but he shot weakly at the 'keeper. Immediately Bishops were on the attack again and Stewart found space to cross. The ball evaded Winspear at the first attempt but was deflected back into his path. Unfortnately his second attempt was skied over the bar.
In the 27th minute, Baynes played a neat 1-2 deep in the Horden half. The return pass was volleyed by over the bar from 18 yards.
Bishops finally got the penalty they deserved on 34 minutes when again the Horden No.2, presumably looking for a trial in the NBA, raised his arm to push Stewart's cross to safety. The previously myopic linesman this time had little alternative but to signal for the spot kick. What followed the award defied belief.
Newby set himself for the spotkick. His shot hit the underside of the bar, bouncing down just over the line and spun back onto the 'keeper's back and rolled back to Newby who slotted home the rebound just in case. Twice the ball had legitimately crossed the line for a goal, but the referee chose to award a free kick, claiming that Newby had touched the ball twice.
The linesman by this time was well up the field having, mentally at least, awarded the goal for the original kick. Presumably this can be the only reason why he did not advise the referee that the ball had clearly come off the 'keeper before Newby hit it again. Later the linesman told Bishops supporters standing behind him that the ball had crossed the line from the original shot.
Bishops were clearly still in a state of shock when the game restarted after a long delay and on 40 minutes Horden's Kevin Dixon hit a speculative shot from long distance that looped and bounced in front of Porter who failed to connect, and the ball wobbled into the net to give Horden an undeserved lead.
Bishops went on to dominate the second half and on 51 minutes Yalcin fed Winspear who cut a cross back to Parkin who swiveled and shot just wide of the post. Disappointingly Winspear went off soon after to be replaced by Fletcher.
On 61 minutes Yalcin fired a long range shot inches wide. Baynes won a free kick on the edge of the are on 65 minutes, but the resulting free kick came to nothing.
Bishops pushed forward, and a stray back-pass was almost punished on 76 minutes, but the hapless Horden forward put so much spin on his shot into the open net that it curled yards wide of the unguarded goal.
There were chances at both ends in the final minutes but Bishops were destined not to score, and the supporters left the ground still debating events of an hour previous, and whether this was indeed the worst refereeing decision they had ever seen.