Northern League Division 1

29 September, 2009

 

Chester le Street 1 : Bishop Auckland 4

 

 

Bishop Auckland – Peter Jeffries / Carl Robinson / Jonathan Stokell / Paul Moss / Neil Wilkinson / Joe Grant / Simon Ord / Steven Salvin / Wayne Gredziak / Tyson Masters (Darren Richardson 90mins) / Gavin Parkin

 

Subs not used – Adam Strong / Ryan Graham / Jake Richardson & Arjun Purewal

 

Chester-le-Street – Ian Aitken / Luke Gilhespy (sent off 4mins) / Ian Davidson / Rob Palmer (Danny Petts 70 mins) / Andy Armstrong (booked 88 mins) / Ian Dixon / Josh Home Jackson / Craig Price (Nick Kane 70mins) / Nathan Fisher / Rob Draper / Jimmy Farrell (John Murray 81st min & booked 90 mins)

 

Subs not used – Colin Wake & Jonathan Carmichael

 

 

It had rained for over two hours when the game kicked off which made the playing surface quite zippy. The turning point of the game came in the 4th minute, Peter Jeffries punted a long kick which Tyson Masters headed on for Wayne Gredziak whom held off his marker and had the vision to split the home defence with a superb through ball that Joe Grant ran onto though he was unceremoniously felled by right back Luke Gilhespy inside the penalty area. The referee had no hesitation in sending the right back off as he was the last man; skipper Steven Salvin slotted home the resultant penalty.

 

Though it was the 10 men of Chester-le-Street whom looked the stronger for the next half hour, they reorganized playing three at the back and five in midfield. The home side nearly equalised in the 7th minute, Ian Davidson caught the Bishops flat footed floating a ball over the defence which Nathan Fisher chased with Jeffries favourite to clear though the Bishops keeper  miss-kicked allowing Fisher to pick up the loose ball, with Jeffries making amends by bravely punching the ball clear at Fisher’s feet. Two minutes later, Jeffries dropped an Ian Dixon corner and was fortunate that Craig Price could only blaze the ball over the bar from 8 yards out.

 

On the quarter of an hour mark the Bishops could have had another penalty, Gredziak played a one two with Simon Ord and advanced into the box to be brought down by Ian Davidson though the well positioned referee gave a corner to the disbelief of the Bishop contingent. The lively Chester forwards Craig Price and Nathan Fisher constantly threatened in attack, Fisher from the half way line weaved his way past four Bishop players and shot just wide on the edge of the penalty area in the 32nd minute.

 

Patient Bishops advanced forward in the 35th minute, in a sweeping move from left to right, Salvin passed to Gredziak whom turned two defenders and played the ball on for Grant who in turn found Ord and his 15 yard strike was deflected for a corner. A minute later Ord found Gradziak deep inside the Chester area and his strike was parried across the face of the goal to the unmarked Masters whom doubled the Bishops lead.

 

In the 38th minute, Masters from the left floated in a cross which Gredziak saw his near post header punched out by the keeper. Two minutes later, Salvin’s pass on the left wing was back headed forward by Gredziak whom out-witted the home defence’s off side tactic, Gavin Parkin racing onto the ball and his deep cross was agonizingly too high for Masters to head with the keeper stranded by his failed attempt to make contact with Parkin’s cross. The dominant Neil Wilkinson headed clear Dixon’s cross whilst under pressure from two Chester forwards on the stroke of half time.

 

Half Time – Chester-le-Street 0 Bishop Auckland 2

 

The Bishops started the 2nd half on the attrack, Masters pressured the home defence and won a loose ball just inside the Chester half, he squared to Grant whom advanced forward though was tracked by Rob Draper and he brought down the young midfielder just outside the penalty box. Both Masters and Gredziak lined up to take the resultant free kick, Masters saw his powerful kick blocked by the defensive wall with the unmarked Gredziak from 30 yards fired in the loose ball only for the keeper to punch clear once again.

 

In the 52nd minute, Salvin and Masters combined to set up Gredziak who turned his marker inside out and his 15 yard shot was tipped over the bar by Ian Aitken the Chester keeper. In a rare Chester attack, Fisher on the break stretched the Bishop defence though fired over the bar from 20 yards.

 

On the hour mark, another tremendous Jeffries goal kick into the last third of the field found Gredziak on the left who directed his header into the path of Masters whom had gained two yards on his marker and his shot on the edge of the 6 yard box at the front post was brilliantly pushed past the far post by the keeper though somehow the referee gave a goal kick to the dismay of all in the ground.

 

Two minutes later the home side nearly pulled a goal back, Price, Dixon and Draper all combined to set up Fisher whose 8 yard shop was deflected out for a corner by Carl Robinson whom was positioned just in front of the goal. Chester made a double substitution in the 70th minute, surprisingly taking off Price whom had been a threat to the Bishops defence all game. Two minutes later Chester broke away to pull a goal back, the effective Price looped a cross from the left and accurately found the advancing Josh Home Jackson on the right and he made no mistake emphatically firing home from 20 yards into the top left hand corner of the goal giving Jeffries no chance.

 

Bishops immediately regained their two goal advantage and thus broke the spirited Chester resistance, Salvin’s pass found Gredziak on the edge of the box whose weighted pass into the penalty area deceived the home defence with the on coming Salvin running onto though his shot was blocked by the keeper and the unmarked Masters followed up to notch his second goal of the game.

 

In the 84th minute, Gredziak again was foiled by the keeper as his 25 yard free kick was parried for a corner and he must wonder as did the entire Bishop contingent on just how he didn’t get on the score sheet against his former club. A minute later more Bishop pressure as the 10 men of Chester had given their all, Parkin on a surging run on the left crossed and found Salvin at the near post whose header flashed wide past the far post.

 

The pressure paid off as Bishop went 4-1 up in the 87th minute, Grant punted a ball from midfield which was left by Masters to allow Ord whom drove home from just outside the box, this was a well taken goal and very well deserved as the hardworking Simon Ord is now settling in the Bishop team.

 

A minute later, centre half Andy Armstrong was booked for a cynical tackle on Gavin Parkin whom was brought down just outside the box after sprinting towards goal from the half way line, Gredziak fired the resultant free kick just wide.

 

Even though Chester-le-Street played with 10 men for 86 minutes, they were a threat particularly in the 1st half, there were a lot of good performances from the Bishop players as notably the midfield unit battled all game complimented by both forwards whom again showed a great understanding between themselves and this was a much needed 3 points.

 

Full Time – Chester-le-Street 1 Bishop Auckland 4 

 

Josh  Home-Jackson 72 mins                           Steven Salvin 4 minute penalty

                                                                  Tyson Masters – 36 & 73 mins

                                                                  Simon Ord – 87 mins

 

 

Fixtures and Results