Northern League Cup Round 3
16 February, 2010
Bishop Auckland 1 : West Allotment Celtic 2
Bishop Auckland – Peter Jeffries / Christopher Lawson / Simon Ord / Wayne Clarke / Arjun Purewal / Joe Grant (Steven Turnbull 16 mins) / Adam Strong (Harry Drummond 76 mins) / Stephen Salvin / Wayne Gredziak / Amar Purewal / Adam Emson
Subs not used – Ryan Graham / Thomas Blackett / Jake Richardson
West Allotment Celtic – Chris Bannon / Ben Richardson / Daniel Hall / Michael Latimer / Chris Jewles (booked 83 mins) / Kevin Hughes / Paul Gardiner / Paul King (Simon Wilson 90 mins) / David Thompson (Dean Walker 90 mins) / Ian Dunn (booked 67 mins) / Ian Mills (Colum Curtis 79 mins)
Subs not used – Craig Scott / Daniel Patterson
Incredibly Bishop Auckland lost this 3rd round Northern League Challenge Cup home tie to West Allotment Celtic, this after completely dominating the first hour of play and then to be caught out with two smash and grab raids that could only happen in cup tie.
The Bishops created chance after chance in a dominant first half that restricted the visitors to one goal-scoring opportunity. Such was the desire and composure in build up play that contributed to a wonderful first half for the Bishops whom unbelievably couldn’t score no matter what they did, one had to be at the game to witness the onslaught on the visitors goal.
First attack came after 4 minutes, Simon Ord on the left in midfield won a 30/70 challenge and played the ball down the wing to Adam Emson whom powered his way to the edge of the six yard box and his shot made the keeper dive at full stretch to push the ball out for a corner. Immediately on the counter attack Paul Gardiner ghosted into space down the left flank and his cross was blasted out of play by Arjun Purewal whom got in between two visiting forwards.
After this it was all one way traffic, after a quarter of an hour, Ord and Emson combined on the left to lay the ball on for Stephen Salvin whom advanced and beat his marker to fire over the bar from the edge of the box. Three minutes earlier Salvin had again been involved in the action heading on Adam Strong’s long throw with the Allotment defence just clearing the danger and Wayne Gredziak was close by.
The Bishops lost young starlet Joe Grant to injury in the 16th minute, Steven Turnbull replaced him and gave a measured, disciplined display from a youngster making only his third appearance for the club.
A minute later, Adam Strong won a corner after pressurising the full back, Emson’s right wing corner flew to the back post to Gredziak whom cleverly had the ball cleared off his boot when lining up his shot by the central defender.
The 19th minute saw another burst of speed from Strong whose looping right wing cross to the far post was headed by Gredziak onto the cross bar with Kevin Hughes on hand to head out of play.
Another Emson right hand corner floated again to the back post and this time Chris Lawson headed wide. After 22 minutes Gredziak under pressure played a visionary ball to the right wing which the advancing unmarked Strong picked up to cross low into the six yard box perfectly finding Amar Purewal whose unconventional side stepped shot hit the defender on the line whom gratefully cleared the danger when the Bishops should have opened their account.
In the 27th minute, great link up play between Ord and Gredziak set up Amar Purewal who drove agonizingly wide just inside the box, moments later Amar Purewal again involved in the action and fired wide from 12 yards out after being set up by Salvin.
On the half hour mark, Turnbull won a great duel in midfield to set Gredziak away down the middle and he laid the ball out right for Strong whose pin point cross was headed wide at the back post by the unmarked Emson though he was adjudged to have been off side which was another curious off side decision by the assistant referee during this period of play.
Once again Strong terrorised the visitors down the right and was up-ended just outside the box, Emson took the free kick which was cut out for a corner by Ben Richardson whom anticipated well.
The Bishops tempo never relented in the first half, right on half time, Ord on the left won another crucial challenge and advanced forward to play a superb cross field ball to the unmarked advancing Strong with only the keeper to beat he blazed the ball over the bar which did not do him justice as he had a brilliant first half, always involved in the link up play and created great goal scoring chances.
Into injury time, Salvin and Lawson set Turnbull away whose cross from the right was met by Emson whom controlled shrugged off his marker and fired in his shot which the advancing keeper saved with his feet and the left back cleared the loose ball.
Half Time Score – Bishop Auckland 0 West Allotment Celtic 0
The Bishops started the second half the way they finished the first half, in the 49th minute, Salvin split the visiting defence playing in a superb ball to Gredziak and he was pulled down by Chris Jewles right on the edge of the box, the defender was fortunate not to get booked. Emson’s powerful free kick was finger-tipped over the bar by the keeper.
Two minutes later, Turnbull, Strong and Gredziak all involved in setting up Amar Purewal whose 15 yard drive flashed past the post when he again looked odds on the score. It simply wasn’t his night in front of goal.
In the 53rd minute, another Peter Jeffries long goal kick into the last third of the field was brilliantly headed on to the right by Gredziak finding the advancing Emson whom ran at the visiting defence and played a superb one two with Amar Purewal only to see his shot hit the foot of the post and the visitors cleared the danger.
Two minutes later Amar Purewal was again involved in another superb one two, this time with Strong whom had powered his way forward to see his shot from the edge of the box flash past the far post.
All this possession counted for nothing, as the visitors caught the Bishops on the counter attack in a sweeping move in the 62nd minute, Richardson broke through down the right and his low cross caused the Bishops all kinds of problems with some desperate goal line clearances from Jeffries and Lawson though to no avail as Lawson upended King and Thompson scored from the resultant penalty, with Jeffries diving the right way.
This was total injustice for all the Bishops players and supporters though they showed great character by nearly equalising two minutes later, Lawson played Strong through whose shot just inside the box hit the post to the despair of the Bishop contingent as this was the third time they had hit the woodwork.
West Allotment enjoyed their best spell in the game and increased their lead in the 75th minute, with the Bishop searching for an equaliser, David Thompson broke through clear down the right flank and his low cross was volleyed home by Michael Latimer.
The resilience of the Bishops team saw them keep going with the belief they could pull two goals back and so nearly they did.
In the 86th minute, Emson was striving forward into the visitors box when he was pulled down by Jewles whom was already on a booking for another foul on Emson some three minutes earlier, the referee spoke to the centre half though didn’t dismiss him. Emson took the resultant penalty which was parried by the keeper though Emson was on hand to thump home the rebound and give the Bishops hope.
Some six minutes earlier the referee failed to award a penalty when Gredziak was again pulled to the ground inside the six yard box. After seven minutes of injury time the Bishops couldn’t force an equaliser which they surly did deserve.
An outstanding performance especially the first 60 minutes and it is still difficult to believe they lost the game although revenge could be at hand as the league home fixture is in 10 days time.
Full Time Score – Bishop Auckland 1 West Allotment Celtic 2
Adam Emson 86 mins David Thompson 62 min penalty
Michael Latimer 75 mins