Northern League Division 1
26 December 2008
Team: Chris Porter, Lee Foster, Gustavo DiLella, Kevin Dixon (Mark Robinson 21mins), Arjun
Purewal, Steven West, Scott Richards, Stephen Salvin, Martin Robinson (Gavin
Barton 67mins), Gavin Parkin, Amar Purewal
There’s no better antidote to Christmas cheer and goodwill to
all men than a Boxing Day visit to the Brewery Field. Bishops welcomed back Lee Foster after injury
and Gus Di Lella returned to the starting line up. Martin Robinson made his debut up front.
The braying masses were thin on the ground behind the home goal
as the match kicked off on a sunny December day, so it was left to one lone
individual to pour forth his seasonal message of bile and venom to the Bishops
supporters at the opposite end. No wonder so many choose to “give this one a
miss”.
The Moors were kicking up the hill in the first half and took
the lead on 15 minutes when Waite hit a speculative shot from outside the area
which flew into the top right hand corner.
Bishops were forced into an early change with an injured
The game was a stop start affair at this point as the Moors
centre halfs took turns to lump the ball into nearby streets and gardens and
there were numerous stoppages as the officials attempted to locate a suitably
inflated spheriod. Eventually, they gave
up and play continued with a soft one which did little to add to the spectacle.
There was nothing really in the game and Bishops could easily
have been level on 24 minutes when Salvin dummied a ball into the box and Amar
Purewal laid it off to Parkin whose shot went just wide.
Another chance for the Bishops on 39 minutes when Salvin pinged
a shot which Finch couldn’t hold but Parkin’s rebound shot was blocked. Four minutes later and another chance as a
corner was swung in and Parkin’s close range shot on the turn was charged down
by Finch.
Up to the top end to watch the second half through the
Dickensian squalor recently criticised by the Northern League and behind the
top goal in the shadow of the burnt out carcass of the still derelict
clubhouse. Just minutes into the second
half Bishops should have been level when Parkin’s shot from a tight angle
struck the bar and bounced down in front of the line before being hacked clear.
Salvin put in another strong shot on 57 minutes when Finch again
could only block but the ball fell kindly for the home side.
Just past the hour mark and the game was up as Bishops failed to
pick up a corner played on the floor to a midfielder on the corner of the area
who crossed for Ward to head home unchallenged.
Parkin fired into the side netting on 63 minutes and on 66
minutes Scott Richards’ early free kick was pushed round the post for a corner.
However, once the second goal went in,
Bishops never really looked like getting anything from the game, and so it
proved.