Northern League Division 1
27 April, 2010
Bishop Auckland 3 :
Bishop Auckland – Ryan Graham /
Steven Turnbull / Tom Blackett / Wayne Clarke / Arjun Purewal / Simon Ord /
Adam Strong (Peter Jeffries 86 mins) / Joe Grant (Jake Richardson 39 mins) /
Wayne Gradziak / Harry Drummond / Darren Richardson
Subs not used – Steven West /
Anthony Phillipson & Jordan Wymer
Sub not used – Thomas Watkinson – only 4 substitutes
named
Missing from
Saturday’s home draw with Morpeth was Captain Stephen Salvin due to work
commitments and the suspended Adam Emson. In came Harry Drummond and Darren
Richardson.
The first real
scoring opportunity of the game came in the 9th minute. Adam Strong linked up
with Tom Blackett whose cross was headed on by Lawyers left back Davidson at
the front post with Harry Drummond following through slicing his volley just
wide from 12 yards out within a crowded penalty area.
A minute later
Lawyers Johnson split the advancing home defence with a cross field through
ball to the right which Lewis Teasdale latched onto beating the off side trap and
advancing towards the Bishops goal at pace. Ryan Graham the Bishops keeper closed down the space and were fortunate Teasdale’s
shot from just inside the box flashed wide past the far post.
Immediately on the
counter attack from Graham’s goal kick down the left flank which Joe Grant
superbly advanced forward beating two players and playing in Darren Richardson
whose neat pass into the 6 yard box was met by the advancing Wayne Gredziak and
his shot hit the base of the left post rebounding out a yard and off the back
of the keepers head for a corner.
More Bishops
pressure in the 12th minute, Darren Richardson robbed Lawyers captain Forster
in possession, then squared the ball to Simon Ord whom incredibly advanced spinning
and turning three players on the edge of the box then played in a ball of sheer
quality to the unmarked advancing Darren Richardson whom had time to control
the pass and shoot off his favoured left foot that flew at great speed across
the face of the goal and just wide from the edge of the six yard box.
The game was now
end to end in attacking play. After a quarter of an hour from the left Darren
Richardson looped in a high ball towards the edge of the box which Gredziak
chased and it needed the full outstretched leap by the keeper to gather the
ball with Gredziak ready to pounce for any dropped ball.
Another big let off
for the Bishops came in the 21st minute, Johnson and Teasdale combined to set
up Innes whose close range shot was saved by the rising diving feet of keeper
Ryan Graham.
Two minutes later
and another scare when a Teasdale cross from the right was headed out by Wayne
Clarke though the ball fell to the feet of Johnson whose drive from the edge of
the box just cleared the cross bar.
Warning signs were
there and the visitors took the lead in the 31st minute. Johnson again caused
problems down the right flank and he punted in another high ball towards the
edge of the Bishops box which Graham raced out of his goal though agonizingly
failed to make any contact and the ball dropped past him with the excellent
Teasdale reading the situation perfectly and he pounced to stroke the ball
home.
The Bishops nearly
equalised almost immediately. Simon Ord once again played in another ball of
sheer quality to Gredziak whom shrugged off his marker and his shot from the
edge of the box hit the cross bar. The
visitors struggled to clear the danger, Adam Strong
pounced on a deflection and was bundled to the ground though the referee waved
play on despite the Bishops penalty appeals.
Grant raced across
to close down the left back though was adjudged to have fouled him. Indeed
Grant then collapsed as he left the field of play for 5 minutes to receive
treatment as he had taken a knock on his right ankle some 10 minutes earlier. Youngster
Grant retuned to the play though was substituted two minutes later. On came
another youngster Jake Richardson whom went into the right back position with
Steven Turnbull moving up into the midfield.
Half Time Score – Bishop Auckland 0
The Lawyers caught
the Bishops cold and doubled their lead in the 47th minute. The defence were
ball watching as Parkinson’s cross from left to the back post was headed across
the face of the goal by Innes with the unmarked Johnson on hand to stab the
ball home from two yards out.
The Bishops kept
going with their lively forward play. Darren Richardson won a corner which was
taken by Blackett from the left with the keeper punching out and landed to
Drummond at the edge of the box and he placed his shot just wide the left hand
post.
More pressure down
the right hand flank rewarded the Bishops with their opening goal in the 56th
minute. Jake Richardson played in a channelled ball to Strong whom raced
forward, lightening fast to square to Darren Richardson whom got in front of
the centre half and toe poked the ball past the advancing keeper.
As the Bishops
searched for an equaliser they were caught out with a sucker punch of a counter
attack in the 63rd minute, with the visitors restoring their two goal lead.
Johnson again at the heart of the attack, as his cross was headed back across
the face of the goal by Parkinson to the unmarked Innes whose shot was parried
by Graham into the net.
The attacking flair
of the Bishops was there for all to see as they immediately pulled a goal back.
Darren Richardson on the left magnificently tore his way past two defenders to
brilliantly cross from the bye line which flew over the keeper to the back post
and Strong was at hand to tap home.
The Bishops were
level in the 67th minute. After soaking up some Lawyers pressure, Steven
Turnbull in the Bishops half was first to the loose ball and he punted forward
to Wayne Gredziak whom was on his own, 30 yards out and he held off his marker, shielding the ball,
then turned his way past two defenders with another coming across as it looked
like he had no space to make an opening.
His persistence,
desire and strength catapulted him past all three defenders and his thundering
shot from the edge of the box was helped on into the goal by the keepers desperate effort to save, a truly wonderful
The game was still
end to end with both teams going for goals. The Bishops came close to taking
the lead in the 74th minute, once again Ord brilliantly linking up with Gredziak
as he and the keeper raced towards the loose ball with somehow the keeper
getting the slightest of touches that deceived Gredziak and rebounded off the
back of his leg square to the unmarked Strong but with the goal wide open from
15 yards out his shot was more of a cross to the right as one can only think he
hit a divit on what was a very hard bone dry pitch. Darren Richardson chased
the loose ball with the keeper marshalling him towards the corner flag.
Darren Richardson
then played a superb cross field ball to Strong whom once again raced forward
to link up with Greziak whom fired over from the edge of the box in the 85th
minute.
The excellent Adam
Strong whom worked tirelessly throughout the game was substituted a minute
later and replaced by first choice goal-keeper Peter Jeffries whom went up
front making his first out field appearance for the club.
Both sides pressed
for a winner and it was the visitors who stole all the points scoring a minute
from time. The Lawyers won a corner taken from the left and it was half cleared
towards the right hand side corner flag when it was adjudged by the assistant
referee that Darren Richardson had handled or fouled when trying to make a
clearance whilst surrounded by three Lawyers players. This was totally unjust
though proved to be costly as once again the Bishops defence was slow to react
to Davidson’s resultant free kick which was floated into the front post and
headed home unchallenged by the effective Teasdale.
Defensive failures
proved costly and gifted the Lawyers the points despite valiant attacking
efforts that produced three wonderful well worked goals in what was a very
entraining game for all.
Full Time Score – Bishop Auckland 3
Darren Richardson
56 mins, Lewis Teasdale 31 mins & 89 mins
Adam Strong 64
mins, Joseph Johnson 47
mins,
Wayne Gradziak 67 mins, Lee Innes 63 mins,