FA Vase 2nd
Qualifying Round
19 September, 2010
Bishop Auckland 1 : Chester le Street 0
Bishop Auckland – Peter Jeffries / Chris Bell / Darren Atkinson / Wayne Clarke / John Hutton / Simon Ord / Adam Strong / Stephen Salvin (capt) / Wayne Gredziak (Steven West, 87 mins) / Steven Turnbull / Adam Emson (Darren Richardson, 68 mins)
Yet more cup action for the Bishops, this time with the visit of second division Chester-le-Street Town to Darlington Road for the second qualifying round of the FA Vase.
With the
availability once again of key players, manager Colin Myers made five changes
from the team that began the League Cup tie at Stokesley. Wayne Clarke, Adam
Emson, John Hutton and Simon Ord returned to the
starting eleven alongside Wayne Gredziak, who would sign for Bedlington
Terriers at the conclusion of the fixture.
Chris Lawson, Darren Richardson and Arran Wearmouth made way, along with Thomas Blackett, who has left the club and headed for Australia, and Joe Grant, who has relocated down south to further his studies. Darren Richardson, Craig Toman and Steven West were named on the substitutes bench.
After sometimes heavy rain, the match kicked off under clear blue skies with the promise of sunshine as the afternoon wore on.
Bishops first chance came after five minutes when Stephen Salvin controlled the ball well in the middle of the park before finding Wayne Gredziak, who threaded a pass through to Simon Ord, whose low shot to the keeper’s right was well saved.
Five minutes later, the Two Blues created another chance with an attack down the right wing. Adam Emson, making his return to action after the nasty challenge sustained at Willington in the previous round, was fouled as he left the defender in his wake. The referee played a good advantage as the winger was able to find his feet and cross into the box. Gredziak got the faintest of touches as the ball ran on, but Adam Strong could not get on the end of it to apply the finish.
With 12 minutes on the clock, Gredziak was clean through after beating the offside trap high up the pitch. After shirking off defenders, the centre forward seemed to be in two of three minds about what to do next and his scuffed shot bobbled harmlessly wide. Keeper Barlow let out a chuckle as he retrieved the ball.
But the second division side were determined not to allow the Bishops to have things all their own way, and Peter Jeffries was called on to make a good low save from Healer after quarter of an hour.
As the wind blew across the ground, both sides struggled to create much up front for the remainder of the half, although a Gredziak shot from inside the box curled harmlessly around the right hand post and just after the half hour a Strong shot was blocked after a quick move initiated by Chris Bell from the Bishops defence, which also involved Emson and Gredziak before the ball fell nicely to the right winger.
HT: Bishop Auckland 0, Chester-le-Street Town 0
“Not much to write home about”, observed one supporter at the half-time whistle, but I assured the programme editor I would try and fill two pages for him!
Just seven minutes after the half-time whistle and the Two Blues were back on the pitch. The second half resumed at 3.55 pm and in only the third minute, a Gredziak header glanced off the face of the crossbar and was hacked to safety. Stephen Salvin again feeding the ball out to Strong on the wing, whose cross was met at the near post by Bishop’s centre forward.
After 64 minutes, Peter Jeffries was called into action once again as he initially parried a Harrison free kick before claiming the ball at the second attempt.
A couple of minutes later, the Bishop’s captain missed two chances to open the scoring. The first came after the ball was played neatly around the visitor’s penalty area, but Salvin’s shot curled inches wide. The second, after Gredziak brought the ball down under pressure in the box, the skipper’s shot on the turn was well saved low to the keeper’s right.
After 68 minutes, Darren Richardson replaced Adam Emson, and the substitute shot inches wide seven minutes later after a good Bishop’s passing move down the right wing involved six players.
The deadlock was finally broken after 77 minutes. Emson and Gredziak both had earlier penalty claims turned down, but when Fraser brought down Gredziak in the box, the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and the away team did not dispute the official’s decision. Steven Turnbull stepped up and as the keeper dived right, he calmly slotted home in the other corner.
Bishops looked more likely to increase their lead rather than concede an equaliser and seven minutes after the penalty, Salvin found Strong, who played it out to Bell. The defender got to the byline and cut back inside before unleashing a fierce shot across goal that flew wide with Darren Richardson straining to get a telling touch at the far post.
With three minutes to go, Steven West replaced Wayne Gredziak, who left the field to warm applause in recognition of his 25 goals in 59 appearances for the club, and with good wishes for his impending move to Bedlington Terriers.
The game reached its conclusion without further incident, and Bishops, who have finally won through two rounds of this competition, will play Billingham Synthonia at home in the first round in a fortnight.
FT: Bishop Auckland 1, Chester-le-Street Town 0