2006/7 Northern League Division 1
West Auckland Town 2 : Bishop Auckland 1
21 November, 2006
Team: Chris Porter, Steven Larkin, Steven Baynes (Nicky Mohan 45 mins), Richie Ward, Max Applegarth (Joe Fairish 63 mins), Scott Nicholson, Steve Newham, Levent Yalcin, Jamie Clarke, Gavin Parkin (Richie Storr 40 mins), Bryan Stewart
After two thrilling football matches in the previous week, Bishops team and supporters were brought back down to earth, and to the harsh realities of a winter in the Northern League. Nothing in the previous seven days could prepare us for this atrocity exhibition.
Playing up to the top edge of the Darlington Road pitch, Bishops failed to come to terms with the long ball physical game of West and were struggling to get into the game from the off.
West missed a couple of decent chances before taking the lead on 25 minutes when a punt over the top had Bishops Applegarth floundering, and the ball was passed to an unmarked striker to fire home.
On 33 minutes ex-Bishop Michael Heckley put in a tackle on Gavin Parkin that was so late and violent after the forward had pushed the ball past him that a red card seemed a certainty. Despite having been warned earlier for another late lunge, the defender received only a yellow card. After a long delay while Parkin received treatment the forward left the pitch and was to take no further part in the game.
From the resulting free-kick Nicholson curled a shot just wide of the far post.
Nicholson was on the receiving end of another brutal thigh high tackle on 47 minutes which again only warrented a yellow in the eyes of referee Tiffin.
Clarke pushed the ball past Heckley on 50 minutes but the thuggish defender chopped the striker to the ground for a free-kick. Again he remained on the field. Richie Storr fired the free-kick past the 'keeper but the "goal" was disallowed as the referee was unhappy at the closeness of the wall. Storr was unable to repeat the trick when the kick was re-taken.
West hit the inside of Porter's far post on 59 minutes and the game was starting to drift away from Bishops but they were handed a lifeline when Yalcin's cross caused panic in the West area, and the 'keeper dropped the ball into his own net under pressure from two West defenders.
By this time, life behind the goal into which Bishops were attacking became more pleasant despite the stones being thrown by juvenile West supporters throughout the second half.
Bishops were effectively reduced to ten men on 72 minutes when after a series of clumsy and late tackles Bishops somehow managed to concede a free-kick with both Newham and Storr on the floor requiring treatment. The free-kick was defended with only nine men on the field, and although Storr was able to continue, Newham played the remaining 20 minutes on the forward line unable to move freely.
Unable to soak up the pressure, Bishops finally succumbed to a late winner for West on 87 minutes. The occasion was soured still further by the West 'keeper's two fingered salutes to the Bishops supporters behind the goal. The troublesome West "kids" were delighted.
Bishops were unable to match West's commitment and physical play in this one sided game, and without any protection from the officials, will need to toughen up over the winter if they are to compete in the top half of the table. Injuries sustained during this game, and departure of Jon Collinson from the club will further hamper their efforts in the weeks ahead.