Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Consett (5th) v. Bishop Auckland (6th)
Durham County FA HQ, Chester-le-Street
After Sunday, all the teams in our league have played 6 matches, so the table sorted itself out a little. We're tied with Consett on points, a goal behind them in differential. They've been exceptionally difficult to score against, conceding only three goals in league play. Both teams are equally gassed, having played on Saturday and the previous Wednesday.
I rotated our lineup quite a bit. I'd prefer not to have to do this, away to a good team, but too many of our lads weren't as fit as I like my starters to be. The injury risk isn't worth it. Consett manager Alex Holt approached the match the same way.
We won an action-filled contest, 3-2, with
Prince Petchey playing a role in all three of our goals.
The Prince set up
Callum Baker for an easy tap-in at the 20' mark. After a scramble in front of our goal resulted in the ball bouncing off
Jordan Reed and into the net to level the score, Baker caught the Steelmen's back line napping and lofted it over the top for Petchey to run onto and blast home.
Consett came back, beating
Steven Griffin on a rather audacious strike from 25 yards out. Then, on 78 minutes, it was Petchey again--this time, he hammered a free kick off the crossbar, and substitute left back
Craig Calvert played the carom into the net for the match-winner. The Prince now has four assists in four appearances for the Two Blues.
Colin Collantine and
James Joseph came up from the U21s to start the match, and
Ray Mullen, 16, made his senior debut.
Consett 2 (Reed (o.g.) 55, Newton 72)
Bishop Auckland 3 (C. Baker 20, Petchey 66, Calvert 78)
Bishops' Lineup: Griffin, Mullen, Oseni, Hunt, Reed (Calvert), Birch, Knight, Collantine, Joseph, Petchey, C. Baker (Fleming).
Booked: None.
Attendance: 46.