2006/7 Northern League Division 1
Sunderland Nissan 2 : Bishop Auckland 0
28 October, 2006
Team: Jon Collinson, Steven Larkin (Steven Newham 78 mins), Steven Baynes, Paul Collins, Nicky Mohan, Richard Ward, Levent Yalcin, Brian Healy (Dale Mendum 55 mins), Paul Campbell (Andrew Fletcher 78 mins), Gavin Parkin, Bryan Stewart.
Bishops gave high flying Sunderland Nissan a good game, but a lack of firepower and the usual lack of good fortune cost the team a share of the points.
The Two Blues should have been ahead on 15 minutes when Baynes fired in a perfect cross for Campbell who shot air with the goal gaping from six yards.
Another great cross from the marauding Baynes brought a desperate deflection over his own bar from Nissan's No.6.
Fantastic passing between the commanding Healy, Stewart and Parkin set the ball up for Larkin who skied over the bar from eight yards on 27 minutes.
1st Half: Nissan hit the post - prelude to a goal
Nissan took an undeserved lead on 30 minutes. The ball was cut back from behind the goal-line and while Bishops defenders wondered why neither of the proximate officials had given the goal kick the ball was cannoned into the post and the rebound fired in.
Bishops nearly equalised under bizarre circumstances on 38 minutes when ex-Bishops 'keeper Riches rushed a clearance from his hands and the ball rebounded back over the hapless 'keeper's head off Parkin's back. The stopper's blushes were spared as he raced back to recover the ball from in front of the line.
Nissan came out strong in the second half and hit the bar with a long range shot on the 46th minute. Ten minutes later they hit the post, but Bishops were still in the game until the 92nd minute when Nissan doubled the lead to take the points.
2nd Half: Riches flops on the ball after spilling a low cross