Northern League Division 1

8 September, 2009

 

Bishop Auckland 2 : Horden CW 3

 

 

Team: Peter Jeffries, Carl Robinson, Liam Clough (Steven West 78mins), Arjun Purewal (David Hill 26mins), Paul Moss, Simon Ord, Gavin Parkin, Stephen Salvin, Wayne Gredziak, Mark Henson, Dan Lennon   Subs Not Used: Adam Strong, Neil Wilkinson, Darren Richardson

 

The Bishops looked as if they were going to share the points until the visitors scored a last gasp winner three minutes into injury time in what can only be described as an explosive 2nd half that has accumulated many talking points for weeks to come. This in far contrast to the 1st half, Horden took the lead in the 10th minute, winger Stuart Brightwell split the home defence to find the unmarked Graeme Baverstock whom evaded the oncoming defender and weaved his way past Peter Jeffries to slot home from an acute angle at the far post despite Carl Robinson’s valiant effort to clear the ball off the line. 

 

Bishop started with a 4-5-1 formation though the midfield from the outset in the 1st half played far too deep, inviting constant Horden pressure. This was emphasized in the 15th minute when Simon Ord under pressure punted a ball towards the left hand corner flag from the half way line. The visiting keeper appeared to be shielding the ball out of play though Wayne Gredziak with his never say die attitude chased the apparent lost cause to cheekily cut inside the keeper and fire in a shot at goal that was headed clear by Mark Stephenson with only Mark Henson making up the ground to support Gredziak.

 

Two minutes later Bishops won a throw in on the left, 30 yards from goal, Gredziak with the ball in his hands looked as if he was waiting for Liam Clough to take the throw, then caught the visiting defence out by finding Stephen Salvin whom immediately laid the ball out to the right in the path of the oncoming Gavin Parkin whose powerful drive was well saved by Craig Shields. Though three minutes later the Bishops survived a real scare, Clough failed to clear a  Brightwell’s left wing corner, though he immediately blocked Neil Campbell’s shot and the Horden forward fired his second attempt at goal just wide off the far post.

 

Arjun Purewal went down after a tackle in the 22nd minute and he was subsequently replaced by debutant David Hill in the 26th minute. Bishops then began to press forward in search of an equaliser, good link up play between Salvin ,Henson, Parkin and Gredziak was stopped by good defending and the home side constantly getting caught out with the visitors effective off side trap. In the 37th minute, Jeffries pushed Darren Atkinson’s 20 yard drive over the bar, Hubbard drove wide across the face of goal from the resultant corner.

 

Three minutes later Campbell split the home defence with a 30 yard through ball that Hubbard picked up and drove narrowly wide from just inside the penalty area. Bishops won two free kicks just outside the visitors’ area just before half time, the first when Stephenson fouled the turning Gredziak, Henson’s free kick floated over the bar. His second attempt in 1st half injury time also flew over the bar - this after Salvin’s turning shot was handled by Mark Scott.

 

Half Time – Bishop Auckland 0 Horden Colliery Welfare 1

 

Bishops kick off the 2nd half, and were unlucky not to be given a penalty in the 55th minute, link up play with Gredziak and Salvin found Daniel Lennon deep inside the Horden area, his turning cross appeared to be handled though the referee whom wasn’t in the best position to see the incident waved play on. Three minutes later the Bishops were awarded a penalty, Parkin’s pass found the flying Grediziak whom was brought down just inside the penalty box by Stephenson. Keeper Shields stood his ground and parried Henson’s spot kick and the visitors cleared the danger.

 

Bishop’s continued to attack and equalised on the hour mark, Henson and Salvin linked up to find the unmarked Lennon whom advanced forward and slotted home from the edge of the 6 yard box. One of the turning points in the game came in the 64th minute, skipper Salvin was booked for a strong diving tackle that Baverstock took the brunt of on impact even though Salvin had won the ball, and the temperament of the game was about to change as a number of visiting players remonstrated with the Bishops captain.

 

Bishops continued to dominate, the effective Henson in full throttle worked his way through the centre of Horden’s defence and was ushered to the bye-line, he then found a way to cross to Gredziak whose drive was blocked and Parkin’s shot from the rebound was well saved by the keeper.

 

With the game slipping away from Horden, their manager made a triple substitution in the 70th minute. On came forwards, the powerful Kevin Devine and the towering Andrew Jennings plus full back Matthew Taylor. Within two minutes Horden were ahead, a defensive mistake allowed Baverstock to cross from the right which was met by Devine and Jeffries could not stop the forward’s close range diving header. Jeffries was booked for remonstrating with the linesman over the goal conceded. Moments before the goal, Simon Ord’s pass found the advancing Clough whom went on to drive a powerful shot that went over the bar from nearly 30 yards out.

 

The game enjoyed end to end action, it was the Bishops whom equalised two minutes later in the 74th minute. Horden pushed forward in search of another goal and were caught out when Henson raced from the half way line and crossed soberly from the left to find the oncoming unmarked Gredziak whom powerfully headed home at the far post giving the keeper no chance; this was the best move of the game. Players from both sides were showing over-eagerness in trying to win the game. In the 76th minute, the Bishops had to thank Jeffries for a superb save from a flying Hubbard header, as Jennings and Campbell carved open the home defence.

 

With the threat of two forward Horden substitutes, Steven West came on for Clough in the 78th minute. The focal point of the game came two minutes later, the energetic Campbell beat two players and saw Devine make a run inside the Bishop penalty area, closely followed by West though Devine was adjudged to have been off side. As Devine turned round to look at the referee he was clipped by West though what was to happen now has no place in society never mind a football match. Devine lost all self control and punched West several times including when he was the laid on the ground. Truly ugly scenes that shocked everybody in the ground as the clip by West didn’t warrant the assault by Devine whom was sent off.

 

Bishops immediately advanced forward against the ten men, Salvin’s pass found Gredziak whose shot was parried and Lennon followed up to see his shot cleared off the line by Stephenson. In the 84th minute, another non football incident occurred, Campbell once again flying about fighting for every ball won a throw in just in front of the home bench, he was not allowed to take a quick throw as the ball was denied to him in a blatant act of unsportmanship. Campbell was really aggravated by this and began to lose his self control before being dragged away by his fellow players from the Bishops bench, the referee Mr Dicicco whom seemed the calmest person on the pitch proceeded to book Campbell and this annoyed the Horden contingent and focussed them together in search of a winner.

 

Campbell saw a 20 yard drive well saved by Jeffries in the 86th minute, three minutes later West made a last gasp sliding tackle to deny Jennings deep inside the Bishop penalty area. Horden continued to push forward and won a free kick just outside the Bishop penalty area in the 3rd minute of injury time. Captain Mark Scott took the free kick which was well parried by Jeffries, Baverstock saw his shot block though the home defence whom failed to clear the danger when they had the opportunity and it was Beaverstock whom laid the ball on for the unmarked advancing Scott whom drove down the centre of the goal 12 yards out to score the winning goal in dramatic, frantic fashion.  

 

Full Time – Bishop Auckland 2 Horden Colliery Welfare 3

 

Daniel Lennon - 60 mins                       Graeme Beverstock - 10 mins

Wayne Gredziak - 74 mins                    Kevin Devine - 72 mins

                                                        Mark Scott – 90 mins

(Missed penalty – Henson - 58 mins) 

 

Horden CW Team – Craig Shields / Paul Atkinson (Matthew Taylor 70 mins) / Darren Atkinson / Chris Pearson / Mark Stephenson / Mark Scott / Graeme Baverstock / Craig Hubbard / Neil Campbell / Andrew Appleby (Kevin Devine 70 mins) / Stuart Brightwell (Andrew Jennings 70 mins)

 

Subs not used – James Winter & Craig Snowdon                         

 

 

Fixtures and Results