Northern League Division 1

31 October, 2009

Ryton 5 : Bishop Auckland 1

Bishop Auckland – Peter Jeffries / Carl Robinson (booked 69 mins) / Arjun Purewal (Amar Purewal 64 mins) / Wayne Clarke / Neil Wilkinson / Paul Moss / Mark Henson (Jonathan Stokell 67 mins) / Chris Lawson / Wayne Gredziak / Tyson Masters / Adam Emson (Darren Richardson 76 mins)

Subs not used – Ryan Graham / Steven West

Ryton – Gareth Powell / Ryan Bell / Gary Bailes / Craig Robson (Andrew Innes 74 mins) / Ross Preston (booked 81^st min) / John Parker / Dale Burrell / Andrew Barclay / Alex Benjamin (Dean Patton) / Richard Logan / Kevin Dixon (James Allsopp 76 mins)

Subs not used – Tony Davidson / Craig Jelly

Bishop Auckland certainly gave out all the treats to Ryton in a Halloween nightmare performance that is best forgotten. The gremlins were in force before the game started with Captain Steven Salvin and fellow midfielder Joe Grant both injured from the midweek win at Norton & Stockton Ancients. A reshuffled back four recalled Carl Robinson at right back with Arjun Purewal at left back backed up with a central pairing of Neil Wilkinson and Wayne Clarke allowing Chris Lawson to move up to midfield along with Paul Moss and Mark Henson as the Bishops started with a 4-3-3 formation.

The kick off was delayed as the Ryton ground staff patched up a hole in the side netting of one of the goals. Bishops kicked off against the wind and were put under pressure from the start. After four minutes, Richard Logan on the left cleverly beat two Bishop players though his cross was headed out for a corner by Chris Lawson with Alex Benjamin lurking unmarked in the centre of the 6 yard box.

Ryton continued to press forward with the wind advantage and the Bishops had to thank keeper Peter Jeffries when he raced to secure probing balls from the Ryton midfield, indeed the referee had to speak to both Logan and Kevin Dixon about late challenges on the Bishop keeper in the early stages.

The Bishops fell behind in the 12^th minute and could have been down to 10 men. Wayne Gredziak trailed back to support the back four and closed down the effective Logan by deflecting his close range shot out for a corner. Craig Robson took the resultant corner from the left that flew to the far post and inexplicably Arjun Purewal jumped with his arms in the air and handled the ball. The referee whom had a very good game showed great leniency by just having a word with the unfortunate defender and awarded the penalty which Alex Benjamin put away sending Jeffries the wrong way.

Three minutes later Gredziak was advancing towards the Ryton goal when he was upended by centre half Ross Preston. Mark Henson took the free kick from 25 yard out though flighted the ball over the bar.

After 20 minutes the Bishops had a penalty shout of their own, a Wayne Clarke free kick from just inside the Bishop half was headed on by Tyson Masters and the ball rolled down the arm of Preston with the referee deciding it was not intentional much to Bishops dissatisfaction. Ryton on an immediate counter-attack nearly doubled their lead though Benjamin shot just wide from deep inside the Bishop penalty area.

With the wind dropping, Chris Lawson determinedly rode past three strong Ryton challenges to find Gredziak whom was fouled by Gary Bailes 25 yards out, Adam Emson’s strong low free kick was cleared by the home defence with the keeper unsighted.

It was Ryton whom doubled their lead in the 33^rd minute, Benjamin raced onto a Robson through ball and made his way into the Bishop box then unselfishly laid the ball on for the advancing Dale Burrell whose shot was deflected by Arjun Purewal’s outstretched leg.

Another corner and another goal as it was to be, Robson again drove in powerful left hand corner which was met at the far post by the unmarked John Parker and he made no mistake heading into an empty goal.

Two minutes later and Ryton should have been 3 up, Logan found acres of space and advanced unhindered towards the Bishop goal, Jeffries waited until he was close then came off his line and fortunately for the Bishops, Logan lobbed his shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Jeffries was at hand in the 43^rd minute to block a 12 yard Benjamin drive in what was a poor 1^st half showing from the Bishops.

Half Time – Ryton 2 Bishop Auckland 0

Bishop had the first chance of the 2^nd half and with a bit more composure could have pulled a goal back. Paul Moss flicked on a Jeffries free kick and found Henson whom with his back to goal moved to the left and flicked the ball with his right foot into the centre of the Ryton box which deceived both defenders, Emson unmarked controlled the ball though lobbed over the bar from 10 yards out with the keeper advancing towards him.

The second half carried on from the first half as Ryton went three up in the 51^st minute, Dixon received a Preston pass and raced from the half way line to the Bishops bye line and knocked the ball across the face of the goal which Logan gratefully tapped home.

Moss was on hand to deflect a Robson shot two minutes later. Bishop had another strong appeal turned down for a handball in the Ryton box in the 56^th minute, this after the assistant referee adjudged the Ryton keeper did not catch the ball outside of his box when it clearly looked as if he did.

On the hour Emson saw his powerful low 25 yard free kick brilliantly pushed round the post though three minutes later, Ryton went 4-0 up. Another Preston punt up field caught the whole Bishop defence out as Logan timed his run to perfection to beat the off side trap and advance to shoot past the luckless Jeffries.

Bishops made an instant substitution taking off Arjun Purewal and replacing with his twin brother Amar whom was making a return after his long injury lay off. Bishops reverted to three at the back, changing the formation to 3-4-3.

This made little difference as Ryton scored again in the 67^th minute, Benjamin on the right found full back Ryan Bell at the far post and he was allowed time to pick his spot and put Ryton 5 up, this with Henson laid injured in the Ryton half after being fouled from behind in the build up to Ryton’s goal and was receiving treatment when the Bishops waited to restart the game from the centre spot, Henson was unable to continue and was replaced by Jonathan Stokell.

The Bishops made their final substitution in the 76^th minute when Adam Emson was replaced by Darren Richardson whom made an instant impact by pulling a goal back within 30 seconds, slotting home from 6 yards out firing across the face of the goal and into the net from a tight angle.

Another Bishop attack in the 79^th minute saw Gredziak lose his marker and squared the ball to the advancing Amar Purewal who blazed the ball over the bar from just inside the Ryton box.

Once again lenient refereeing was observed when Ryton’s centre half Ross Preston lashed out at Wayne Gredziak inside the Ryton penalty area in an off the ball incident, Gredziak to his credit did not make a meal of it and this surely influenced the referee’s decision to only book the Ryton centre half.

With two minutes remaining Burrell combined with substitute Patton whose close range effort was frantically cleared by the Bishop defence.

Into injury time and the Bishops created three decent chances, the first with Masters seeing his shot blocked by the keeper which Gredziak picked up to find Amar Purewal and his shot just deflected for a corner. Amar Purewal turned supplier and his cross was met by Gradziak whose close range downward header was cleared off the line by James Allsopp, then moments later Darren Richardson tried his luck from 20 yards out firing his shot over the bar.

One just hopes the Bishop players will treat us to a far better performance next week at home to Penrith.

Final Score – Ryton 5 Bishop Auckland 1

Alex Benjamin 12 mins penalty Darren Richardson 78 mins

John Parker 33 mins

Richard Logan 51 & 63 mins

Ryan Bell 67 mins

Fixtures and Results