NEWTON AYCLIFFE v CONSETT

Northern League Division 1 - 27 August 2016

Today’s game is between two teams who have made a decent start to the Northern League campaign, and who will hope to figure in the race for honours.

Moore Lane Park has a rural feel to it despite its new-town location, an impression strengthened by the warm sunny day and the sound of willow on leather from the adjacent cricket match. In fact the early season football pitch is in better nick than the late season cricket outfield; the lush green setting off the players’ strips – all royal blue for Aycliffe and all red for Consett.

The first fifteen minutes are fairly even, but after a bout of long ball ping pong a purposeful header from Consett centre forward Jordan Nellis finds team mate Jack Stafford in space. A few unchallenged strides bring him to the edge of the penalty area from where he fires an accurate shot into the corner of the net.

The game continues to be open but Consett have the better opportunities. Twice Aycliffe concede needless free kicks out wide but escape punishment. After a third such free kick a half chance does fall to Nellis but his tamely struck is easily gathered.

Aycliffe can barely string two forward passes together, often instead resorting to a long ball. One of these draws a mistake from Consett centre half Clark Kay that puts the goal in danger; however he manages to clear up his own mess after which he literally holds his hand up in an apology to the team. Only once more does a through ball prove effective for Aycliffe – Dennis Knight is put clear with just the keeper to beat, but Shaun MacDonald stands up well and blocks effectively.

It’s a strong finish to the half for the home team and a corner routine produces their best moment so far. Knight peels off his marker to meet the corner kick on the half-volley about ten yards from the near post. The sweetly struck shot flashes goalwards, only kept out by some combination (too quick to specify) of a defender, the keeper, the post and the bar.

Despite the late flurry Aycliffe have been outplayed in midfield, and though Knight and his fellow striker John Campbell have worked hard they have worked in isolation and been generally snuffed out by the Consett defence. The visitors deserve their 1-0 lead; their strikers Nellis and Luke Sullivan are skilful and are combining well with each other and their midfield colleagues.

Aycliffe start the second half with a bit more attacking intent and, early doors, Campbell races onto a through ball as keeper MacDonald races out to clear. Campbell wins the race but MacDonald is a close second and takes him out, conceding a free kick outside the penalty area and escaping a red card due only to the forward’s direction of travel being away from goal. Campbell takes the kick but fires well over.

The same player gets another chance fifteen minutes later when a hopeful punt upfield bounces through to him, however his mishit shot barely reaches the keeper.

It appears to be an expensive miss as Consett immediately counter attack with Sullivan dribbling into the box. Centre half Alex Kitchen gets in a tangle with him and wrestles him to the ground to concede a penalty. Sullivan takes it hard and low to the keeper’s right; but not far enough to his right and James Winter makes a fine save to keep the deficit at just one goal.

Aycliffe’s next opportunity to equalise falls to Campbell again. Apparently hemmed in by defenders around the penalty spot, he cleverly manufactures some space and arrows a shot; but it’s too straight to beat MacDonald, who tips the quickly rising ball over the bar.

With time running out, and the home team getting frustrated, they revert back to conceding needless free kicks. One of these comes into the penalty area and panicky defending ensues that concludes with a clearance from one player hitting another and presenting Nellis with an open goal chance that he nods in gratefully for what looks like a terminal 2-0 lead.

Credit to Aycliffe, they continue to press for a goal. Ashley Coffey, strangely quiet all game, creates some space for himself and has a good shot blocked. From the corner the ball comes out to centre half Dan Mitton who sidefoots a deliberate shot that strikes the angle of post and bar.

It is as close as Aycliffe get, and probably as much as they deserve. On this evidence they will need some key missing players back fit if they are to compete for the top places; Consett however were impressive and I think they may be one of the teams to watch this season.

BILLINGHAM SYNTHONIA v NORTHALLERTON TOWN

FA Cup Preliminary Round - 20 August 2016

Cool and showery at Central Avenue for this Preliminary Round FA Cup tie between two Northern League Division 2 teams, giving both an opportunity to reach the heady heights (for a step six club) of the first qualifying round. The big bowl of a ground with its cavernous cantilever stand is familiar from previous visits, but their frequency has diminished since Synthonia dropped out of the first division a couple of seasons ago.

Still, a glance at the programme shows the home team have strengthened their squad with some signings from division one teams plus the surprising recruitment from NPL Spennymoor of Anthony Peacock, one of the most creative players in the region.

Synthonia have the best of the opening exchanges, aided by the wind and rain at their back. After an initial scare when a misunderstanding between centre half and goalkeeper results in the latter’s clearance rebounding off a charging Northallerton forward, all the action is around the visitors’ goalmouth. A corner is headed over, long throws come in, and crosses flash from side to side.

On twenty minutes Peacock opens up a channel on the left and the pulled back centre is volleyed by Chay Liddle; it is into the ground but well-directed back across the keeper who cannot prevent it entering the goal. A minute or two later it is Peacock himself who is put clear on the left. His shot is saved but not held and in the ensuing scramble a Billingham forward is able to sweep the ball into the net for a 2-0 lead.

Northallerton seemed stunned by this quick double but can do little to alter things. Again the only danger to the Synthonia goal is from the lack of communication between the keeper and defenders; this time the keeper charges from his area to head clear, clattering his centre half in the process. With both players on the floor a lofted Northallerton attempt drifts wide. But as Synthonia can’t add any more goals either, the visitors just about remain in the match, two down at half time.

And Northallerton re-start the stronger, spending sustained periods in their opponent’s half but without causing the Billingham keeper any trouble. Then Synthonia’s first foray of the half, a quick break, produces a cross from the right that finds a selection of teammates in the centre. Max Craggs applies the finish to make it 3-0, and it is hard to see Northallerton coming back now.

The pace understandably goes out of the game for a while but with 15 minutes to go a run from Peacock beats the offside trap; he collects the ball, pauses to draw out the keeper, then sidefoots home. Synthonia have the scent of blood now and add a fifth when some close passing featuring Liddle and (inevitably) Peacock ends with Craggs scoring from within the box.

Finally, in the last minute, Peacock caps a fine individual and team performance by exchanging passes with Nathan Steel and chipping the keeper to make the score a convincing six nil.

On this evidence Billingham Synthonia should get out of the second division with ease and may even get through another FA Cup round, though their next opponents will be a tougher test than Northallerton.

WEST AUCKLAND TOWN v WEST ALLOTMENT CELTIC

Northern League Division 1 - 13 August 2016

A visit to Darlington Road (current sponsored name: Wanted Metal Recycling Stadium) in West Auckland is best undertaken early in the season when at least the wind off the North Pennines can be temperate. The breeze is stiff today, but warm on a sunny day, and the ground is bright too with the close-season whitewash dazzling on the pitch-side walls and the lines similarly clear and crisp the on the well grassed playing surface.

The home team are wearing their traditional yellow (or is it amber) and black; the visitors’ kit of green and white hoops appropriately reflects their name. It is my first sight of West Allotment while West Auckland are often on my itinerary; but as ever the the non -league turnover of players means there are a lot of unfamiliar faces or familiar players in unfamiliar shirts.

West Auckland start brightly, ‘Speedy’ Richardson making good runs down both flanks. From one of these the ball is worked to Gardener on the edge of the penalty area and he thumps home a good firm shot to open the scoring.

The home team fail to capitalise on their advantage and West Allotment gain a foothold in the game, earning a corner kick. The resulting goal-ward header is eminently saveable, until Scott Swanson pops up to deflect it; the keeper reacts but can only palm the ball onto a post from where it rebound into the goal for the equaliser.

As half time approaches Celtic look the stronger. A gap is developing between the West Auckland back four and their midfield players, and this is exploited by good work by Daniel O’Reilly on the right wing. His cross finds David Henderson on the penalty spot. A shimmy fools his marker into moving away, creating time and space for the midfielder to coolly slot a shot past the helpless keeper.

West Auckland come out in the second half looking determined to erase the one goal deficit as soon as possible. Their pressure soon leads to a free kick on the edge of the box and Gardner lines up a curler. The shot clears the wall and dips towards the top corner; keeper Bannon gets to it with both hands but then somehow fails to maintain a grasp and instead drops the ball inside the post and over the line.

All square but West Auckland have their tails up. From a melee on the edge of the box their midfielder Mark Hudson emerges with the ball chest high. He lets it fall a foot or two before dipping a volley over the keeper and into the goal, Bannon being too far off his line to save.

Gardner tries to increase the lead with another curling free kick but Bannon holds onto this one. Later centre half Marron has a chance from a corner but heads wide. In between the West Auckland skipper is called into more conventional action defending a series of Celtic corners.

As full time approaches, the home team, and supporters, get a bit edgy. As four added minutes are announced Celtic’s Barney Dobinson charges into the box, rounds the keeper but delays the tap in too long as defenders scramble to block. In the end it is keeper David Knight who gets back in position to parry, but as the ball runs loose a Celtic player goes over an outstretched defender’s leg. Appeals are made but the referee says no penalty, and that is West Auckland’s last scare of the afternoon.

The 3-2 win is well deserved at the end of an entertaining and fluctuating match. West Auckland have had a couple of ropey seasons but they now seem to have some decent players and so may enjoy better fortune this year.

SHILDON v BEDLINGTON TERRIERS

FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round - 6 August 2016

The FA Cup starts early this year providing the first competitive game of the season for these Northern league teams. The weather is more suited to the just started Rio Olympics or the in-progress third test match between England & Pakistan, but the modest assembly of fans (not quite a crowd) are happy to turn up at Dean Street in shirt sleeves and sunglasses for once.

Shildon, last season’s Division 1 champions, are playing Bedlington Terriers, who finished bottom of that league; the home team should win, but as this is the FA Cup – “anything could happen”.

And it sort of does: After three minutes of Shildon possession and pressing Bedlington break up field and a precise but fairly obvious pass puts Marcus Brown through on an inside right channel and he slots home with commendable composure to give his team a surprise lead. In fact Brown and strike partner Jonathan Wright look a dangerous combination and create another chance that Shildon keeper Liversedge blocks at close range. When the corner is headed over by an unchallenged Terrier there are heated debates in the home defence.

Possibly adopting attack as the best form of defence, Shildon centre half Dan Groves presses forward and tiptoes through a few tackles outside the Bedlington box before being eased off the ball, unfairly in the view of the referee. It is worth a booking and a free kick. Lewis Wing takes the latter and calmly steers his shot past the wall and into the bottom corner of the goal. At fifteen minutes the equaliser has taken a while but has rewarded patience and application.

Bedlington still pose a threat but the skilful Brown shows another side to his game with a reckless high tackle on Sam Hodgson that earns him an undisputed red card. His teammates are unimpressed, no doubt thinking it’s a warm day to play over an hour with just ten men.

Inevitably Shildon take control. Winger David Ferguson cuts in from the right, exchanges a one-two on the edge of the box and shoots left-footed against the foot of the post; Hodgson next comes close with a volley over the bar; then good work from Anthony Bell takes out the keeper and gives Lewis Dodds an opportunity, but his attempt is blocked by a defender. Minutes later another firmly hit Shildon shot is again blocked, heroically by two defenders, but the rebound is collected by Hodgson whose own shot is also blocked, but this time the deflection loops up and over the helpless Bedlington keeper and into the net.

The goal has come just before half time and enables the home team to go in deservedly ahead.

They come out meaning business; Wing in particular seems keen to shoot and forces a couple of excellent one-handed saves from Bedlington keeper Dan Mullen. As the hour mark approaches the 2-1 lead means the visitors are not out of it; their shout for a penalty, albeit optimistic, illustrates Shildon’s need for another goal.

For Shildon, Ferguson’s speed down the flanks promises much, and when he is fouled on the right hand edge of the penalty area it is he who lines up the free kick. He takes on the difficult angle with a viciously struck left foot shot that hits the near post and bar before nestling in the back of the net. Two minutes later Ferguson pops up on the left and again uses his pace to get clear; this time unimpeded, he nets his second goal.

At 4-1 Shildon are now comfortable, and it only takes a further minute for Ferguson to contribute further, this time he feeds substitute Ben Wood who gobbles up the chance. Shildon are now past confortable – they are in pipe and slippers territory. It gets worse for Bedlington as keeper Mullen sticks out a lazy leg and upends an attacker; Ferguson takes the opportunity from the spot to complete his hat trick with Shildon’s fourth goal in six minutes.

At 6-1 Shildon more or less declare; the heat and early season legs, along with the game being done an dusted means the pace goes out of the game, although Wood has a couple of rangefinders that whistle past first one post, and then the other.

In the end it did turn out easy for Shildon; Bedlington hampered by the dismissal of Brown go out of the cup at the first hurdle while their hosts will go on with some confidence.