Northern League Division 1
21 November, 2009
Bishop Auckland 1 : Dunston UTS 4
Bishop Auckland – Peter Jeffries (booked 23mins) / Paul Moss / Simon Ord / Wayne Clarke / Arjun Purewal / Joe Grant / Adam Strong / Stephen Salvin / Tyson Masters / Harry Drummond / Darren Richardson (Chris Lawson 22mins)
Subs not used – Jordan Tomlinson / Ryan Graham / Jonathan Stokell / Steven West
Dunston UTS – Liam Connell / Mark O’Bern / Steven Pickering / Michael Robson (booked 15 mins) / Ben Cattanach / Michael Laws / Fergal Harkin / Paul Watson (Andrew Clark 90mins) / Darren Forsyth / Andrew Bulford (Martin Bagnall 84 mins) / Calvin Smith (Terry Galbraith 70mins & booked 80 mins)
Subs not used – Kane Young / Michael Dixon
Bishop Auckland were without forwards Wayne Gredziak (suspended) and Adam Emson (injured), still out injured were midfielders Mark Henson and Amar Purewal plus central defender Neil Wilkinson was unavailable due to work commitments.
Darren Richardson and Adam Strong started the game on the flanks in a five man midfield with Simon Ord returning to the side at left back. This game marked keeper Peter Jeffries 50th appearance for the Bishops and he has been the clubs star performer this season though this is definitely one game he will wish to forget.
It rained throughout the match, the pitch was soft and the Bishops kicked off with the wind in the 1st half. A 7th minute wind assisted Jeffries goal kick dropped just inside the Dunston box with Tyson Masters evading his marker to flick on that brought out a fine save by the Dunston keeper.
Four minutes later another long Jeffries goal kick was back headed by Dunston captain Michael Robson which Masters chased at speed only to see the keeper just beat him to the ball deep inside the penalty area.
After a quarter of an hour, the Bishops defence cleared a Dunston attack, Simon Ord’s pass found Masters on the half way line though he was man handled by Robson whom was subsequently booked. From the resultant free kick the Bishops forged ahead trying to create an opening for which Harry Drummond saw his 20 yard drive
deflected away from goal off the back of Adam Strong whom couldn’t get out of the way.
In the 20th minute, Darren Richardson bravely
went into a full blooded 40/60 challenge with Mark O’Bern,
Controversially the Bishops went a goal behind in the 23rd minute, a Fergal Harkin free kick from the right found Paul Watson at the far post whose header should have been saved by Jeffries though the keeper hesitated as the ball was against the wind and then unfortunately slipped which allowed Watson’s header to cross the line according to the assistant referee. Furious protests from the Bishop players at the assistant referee though once the referee had consulted with his assistant the goal was given and Jeffries was booked for dissent.
The spirited Bishops were level six minutes later, Adam Strong on the left from the half way line broke into space and made his way to the edge of the box, his cross was deflected into the path of Tyson Masters at the centre of the edge of the box, and Masters brilliantly drove the ball first time into the bottom corner of the right hand goal, a true strikers goal.
After 32 minutes, Stephen Salvin saw his 22 yard shot well saved by the keeper, five minutes later Lawson superbly set up Masters who’s shot from the edge of the box was again well saved by Dunston keeper, Liam Connell.
In the 40th minute, Drummond broke from the half way line with a 3 on 3, Strong to his left and Masters to the right, Drummond tried his luck from 25 yards out which brought out a flying save by Connell and he managed to grab the ball just at the 2nd attempt from the feet of Masters.
More Bishop pressure in the 42nd minute, from an Ord throw he found Salvin whom worked his way through two defenders to set up Masters whom unluckily shot wide from 15 yards out.
Half Time - Bishop Auckland 1 Dunston UTS 1
Bishops started the 2nd half against the strong wind, in the 47th minute a Paul Moss free kick found Salvin on the edge of the box and the Bishop captain held two defenders a bay to set up the advancing Drummond whose 15 yard pile driver flew just over the bar.
Though it was Dunston whom regained the lead in the 56th minute, the excellent Fergal Harkin whom took all of Dunston corners floated one in from the left which dropped to the feet of Darren Forsyth deep inside the six yard box and he stabbed the ball home off the left post in a packed six yard box.
Worse was to follow eight minutes later, another Harkin corner from the left found the unmarked centre half Ben Cattanach at the far post and he squeezed the ball home from the tightest of angles as Jeffries collided with the right hand post with the ball slipping inbetween him and the upright.
The rain poured and was at its heaviest during the game which made the pitch sticky and boggy in places, Arjun Purewal made a great defensive clearance cutting out Andrew Bulford’s cross with Forsyth lurking unmarked in the Bishops box after 68 minutes.
Two minutes later Calvin Smith chased a Harkin through ball that split the Bishops defence and Jeffries bravely won the chase and subsequently up ended Smith who was unable to carry on and replaced by Terry Galbraith. The substitute was booked in the 80th minute for a careless foul on Adam Strong.
Two minutes later the determined Bishops nearly pulled a goal back, Moss played in Drummond whom linked up with Salvin whose shot was deflected into the path of Drummond as he had carried on his run though to fired just over the bar from 12 yards out.
Salvin brought down Watson 30 yards out from the Bishops goal, after receiving lengthy treatment Watson was unable to continue and replaced by the substitute Dunston goal keeper Martin Bagnall as the other two declared substitutes were both not fully fit.
It was Bagnall in injury time that flicked a ball forward which found the second Dunston substitute Andrew Clarke, whom raced forward after beating the off side trap to slot the ball past Jeffries.
This was by no means a disappointing Bishops performance, as all battled hard all game in difficult conditions.
Final Score – Bishop Auckland 1 Dunston UTS 4
Tyson Masters 29 mins, Paul Watson 23 mins,
Darren Forsyth 56 mins,
Ben Cattanach 64 mins,
Andrew Clark 90 mins