Northern League Division 1

26 April 2008

 

Bishop Auckland 2 : Chester le Street 1

 

 

Team: Peter Keen,  Lee Foster,  Dominic Gamble, Kevin Dixon, Martin Langley, Paul Moss, Joe Fairish, Lee Ellison, Gavin Parkin, Carl Chillingsworth, Luke Ball

 

Last Saturday of the season, but apparently not the end of the season, so Bishops and Washington went into today’s game knowing that one would be relegated but neither would be safe.

 

Darren Richardson’s injury meant a starting place for Lee Ellison.  Peter Keen replaced Chris Porter in goal.  The match, Bishops final one in their ground share with Shildon, was played on a fine day, with a slight end to end wind which favoured the visitors in the first half.

 

Chester le Street had the first big chance but a last minute intervention by Joe Fairish blocked a close range shot on 22 minutes.

 

Bishops took the lead on 33 minutes when Moss’s shot was cleared but Parkin fired in the loose ball from near to the penalty spot for his 18th goal of the season.

 

The first half finished without further incident.    Down the A1, Washington and Ashington were at 0-0.

 

It’s fair to say that we’ve seen a fair few bizarre incidents this season, and on 54 minutes a handball in the Chester area should have given Bishops a penalty, but the referee indicated that the ball had hit the defender on the elbow, and in his opinion that did not constitute a handball offence.

 

Bishops were on top, and in the 56th minutes a Chester defender headed a cross against his own bar.  The rebound was clipped back in by Fairish and Chillingsworth’s resulting header was parried by Aitkin in the Chester goal, then hacked off the line by a frantic defender.

 

On 58 minutes  Ellison’s deep cross was headed at the far post by Chillingsworth but his curling header drifted agonisingly wide.

 

Chester were still waiting for their first shot, but despite this, on 70 minutes, they were level.   A deep free-kick was headed into his own net by Paul Moss.  1-1.

 

However, Bishops rallied and on 78 minutes the decisive goal arrived.  Luke Ball crossed from the right to Chillingsworth who headed from near the goal line into the path of Ellison who fired home to make it 2-1.

 

Bishops continued to press and Parkin had a long range shot well saved, and Chillingsworth headed over the bar in the final minutes, but all attention was turned to score flashes from up the motorway.

 

The match finished 2-1, and a few minutes later the news drifted through that Washington had been held by Ashington 0-0.  So, Bishops now have to wait until Tuesday and hope that Morpeth Town can take points from Northallerton Town to see which division they will play in for 2008/9.

 

 

 

 

Fixtures and Results