Northern League Division 1
7 October, 2009
Shildon 2
: Bishop Auckland 1
Bishop Auckland – Peter Jeffries / Arjun Purewal (Carl Robinson 83mins) / Jonathan Stokell / Paul Moss / Chris Lawson / Joe Grant / Simon Ord (Darren Richardson 84mins) / Steven Salvin / Wayne Gredziak / Tyson Masters / Mark Henson
Bishops headed to
former home
Chris Lawson
replaced Neil Wilkinson in the defence, with Arjun Purewal and Mark Henson back
after injury and suspension respectively.
Shildon made the
first chance of the game but Lawson put in a good block, although the offside
flag was also up.
Bishops took the
lead on five minutes when Masters latched onto a long ball and rounded Finch
before slotting home for 1-0.
It was one way
traffic as Gredziak flicked a header from a Grant free kick but the ball went
straight into Finch’s hands on 16 minutes. A minute later and Bishops first decent
penalty shout as Masters was bundled over in the box.
Jeffries was called
into action on 18 minutes parrying a shot and Moss completed the
clearance. Bishops immediately broke and
this time it was Gredziak pushed over in the area but again no penalty.
Jeffries
again in action on 21 minutes making a brave save at the feet of a Shildon
striker from a good ball across from Hughes.
26 minutes and
Masters fed Gredziak whose deep cross was brought down by Henson but his shot
was tipped over by Finch. The corner was
cleared for another corner but from that flag kick Lawson touched the ball down
to Salvin who fired over the bar.
Ord made a surging
run on 31 minutes from the half way line and let a shot fly just past the right
hand post. Seconds later and Salvin
chipped the ball through to Masters but the striker failed to control the ball
and the chance was gone.
Three minutes later
and Masters found Henson on the edge of the area. The midfielder rode a tackle before firing the
ball just inches wide of the far post. Again just second later and another great
chance for Bishops with Purewal crossing for Masters but his shot was blocked
by the advancing Finch.
Two minutes later
and Jeffries fired the ball up field. Gredziak
brought the ball down and gracefully pushed it across to Masters but his shot
was tipped wide.
The final chance of
a frantic first half came on 41 minutes when Ord won a free kick on the edge of
the box but Henson’s shot was well held by Finch.
So Bishops led 1-0 at
half time, but the chances missed always looked like proving costly.
The first half was
an entertaining affair, but the second half was a real disappointment. Gone was the end to end football and when
Stokell lost the ball on the left a hard cross fell to Byrne to tap in from
close range for 1-1.
The game becamce
bogged down in a series of petty free kicks with Shildon holding the ball
better, but Bishops defending well.
The match was
decided in a short period of time around the 72 minutes mark. Henson crossed for Gredziak who turned his
man 15 yards from goal and slotted a low pass which Masters stretched to reach.
However, the striker could only stretch
out a leg and deflect the ball back into Finch’s hands.
The home ‘keeper
punted the ball up field and after a couple of passes the ball was cannoned in,
striking the underside of the bar and Johnson followed in to score the decisive
goal.
The goal spurred
Shildon into further action and Bishops never troubled the home goal
again. Jeffries pulled off good saves on
75 minutes from a low shot from a corner, again on the 80th minute
and tipped another shot over on 87 minutes.
A disappointing
result but the first half performance gives renewed hope for
the season and with new players available on Saturday hopes are high for
some improved results when we finally return home on Saturday after five weeks
on the road.