Return of the Two Blues: Bishop Auckland FC (FM 14)

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Note: My first post here is a reprise of the opening post of a very short-lived story I began here last month. It turned out to be a bad time to begin a dynasty, because almost immediately, I became very busy with a number of things. All of those things were good, but they did take up the time I might have spent playing Football Manager.

I was going to resume my Bishop Auckland story, but I discovered I'd lost touch with it completely. I like the concept, though, so I've decided to begin a new save with the Two Blues.


Once upon a time, not too many years ago, there was a Golden Age of Football Manager dynasties on the FOFC board. This Golden Age was fading somewhat by the time I joined the forum, but a fortuitous search uncovered a number of great stories from days of yore.

Several of these classic tales told the stories of doughty little English clubs, doing battle in the eighth or ninth levels of their nation's football pyramid, clubs like Diss Town and Odd Down. I enjoy playing FM with small clubs like these, where I can immerse myself in a microcosmic world of football without famous names and real reputations to connect me with the "real" sport.

FC Santa Claus is a fairly big team, by Finnish standards. Their wage budget is a good deal higher than the clubs in the County Leagues of England. Managing Santa feels more like leading a medium-sized club and, while I enjoy it, I miss the vibe of a really small team. Even Kendal Town, whom I wrote about earlier this spring, is a bit bigger club than I'm talking about here.

The database I'm using includes nine levels of English football, down to the County Leagues. I'm going to manage in Level Nine. I chose my team using a completely unscientific, somewhat convoluted system, including criteria such as these:

• kit colors--combinations I think look cool. Extra points for a nifty badge. My daughters, ages 8 and 5, offered invaluable insights here.
• team name--the more quintessentially English it sounds, the better.
• grounds name--again, if the name conjures up an image of a place where an English club would play, that's a plus.
• a lack of "history" on the FOFC forum--if I could identify a club as having been the subject of a previous story, it's eliminated.

The winner is: Bishop Auckland Football Club.

The Bishops, or the Two Blues, were founded in 1886 by theological students from Cambridge and Oxford who were studying at the castle of the Bishop of Durham. (The "Bishop" half of the town of Bishop Auckland's name refers to the fact that the bishop made his residence there.) The students chose the light blue of Cambridge and the dark blue of Oxford for their club colors.

After playing for over a century at the Kingsway ground, Bishops moved to Heritage Park in 2010.

Bishop Auckland compete in the Northern League Division One. Division One contains 24 teams, and only the league champion will be promoted to the Regional First Divisions. If Bishops are relegated, they'll be lost in an unknown world...I have no idea what I'd do as the manager of a club without a home in the database. I'd probably be sacked for poor performance, anyway.

I'm hoping to have a good, long run at Heritage Park, and I'm hoping to enjoy writing about my experiences there, too. Hopefully some of you will find the story engaging enough to follow. Please feel very free to comment! I enjoy interacting with any readers I have.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

2 July 2013

As I take over at Heritage Park, I inherit a bare-bones operation. There are only seven players on the squad list, so my first task will be locating and bringing in the kind of players I want.

My assistant manager is virtually useless, so I won't bother introducing him to you. He'll be gone long before the real business of the season begins.

Ryan Rowbotham is a one-man scouting staff. He's 37, and he's fairly good for our level, so I'll keep him around. The board will let me hire another scout, which I'll do if I can find a good option at the right price.

I'm also allowed to hire a coach, and that will be an immediate priority, too.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

17 August 2013

It's been a busy six weeks or so at Heritage Park. As the Northern League Division One season opens, I've put together a squad, tinkered with my backroom staff, and struggling through a winless pre-season.

One of the first orders of business was finding a new assistant manager. What's more, the man I picked will be a regular on our back line, too. Kenny Johnson is 43, so he won't be a long-term solution at center back, but he's a very good fit for the back room staff of a Level Nine club.

I also found the right man to round out the coaching team. Michael Kabasele earned a single cap for the Democratic Republic of Congo, and he's a talented coach who excels at motivating his players.

Johnson recommended I take a look at player/scout Phil Wilson, and I'm glad he did. Not only will Wilson improve the quality of our scouting, he'll feature regularly at left back.

Here's how the squad looks heading into our season opener, away to South Shields.

Goalkeepers



Kenny Johnson sees a real difference in the quality of our teenage goalkeepers, but I think they're much closer. Laundon is perhaps better physically, while Sambrook is exceptionally tough mentally I'm expecting them to battle hard for the number one shirt, and I wouldn't hesitate to call on either one for a must-win fixture.


Defenders



Wilson lacks the pace and acceleration I would ideally see in full back, but his technical skills are first-rate. He can play anywhere along the left side of the pitch.

John is determined, brave, and hard-working, and with some work on the technical aspects of his game, he'll be an outstanding center half.

His partner, Johnson, knows all the tricks of the trade and uses them all. He's surprisingly fit for a man in his 40s, although he's currently recovering from a knee injury that cost him much of the preseason.

Smith has looked good at right back this summer. He has a mature understanding of what he wants to do on the pitch, and while he's not fast, he accelerates quickly and can run all day.

O'Connor is tough and very good in the air. He can fill in at any defensive spot.

McNamara is comfortable at center back or along the right wing, and he is the fastest of our defenders. He is very, very raw, however, and needs time to develop.

We have the potential for a very good defensive corps here. They are intelligent, composed players who shouldn't beat themselves very often. They might struggle against teams with very fast attackers, who will force them to rely on their positioning and savvy.


Midfielders



Our usual formation is a flat 4-4-2. On the left wing, veteran Edwards is the first choice. He's very sure on the ball, crosses it with great skill, and plays with creativity and verve.

Austin is very well-suited for a holding role in the midfield, but he has the vision and touch to contribute some to the offense. Like many of our players, he lacks pure pace.

That can't be said for White, who possesses a non-stop motor and can hit top speed in the blink of an eye. He's not a natural playmaker, but I'll ask him to play that role, and he'll do it well enough. Martin is a natural choice for the captain's arm band.

I'm excited about the potential of Dudley, a pocket-sized winger with speed and a deft first touch. He's dangerous as he gets forward but, like many youngsters, he needs work on the defensive aspects of his game.

Jennings is the ultimate Swiss army knife, who can play across the middle of the pitch or in the back line. He's strong and brave, and will get stuck in. He'll probably appear in every match, even if he starts relatively few of them.

I brought Harrison in on a three-month loan from Barrow. He is an attacking midfielder with no single trademark skill. He's simply a solid young footballer.

The one remaining hole to fill is a tough one. Good playmaking midfielders don't come cheaply, and I need to find one who will play for fifty quid a week.


Strikers



Evans is the squad's top earner, on £80/week. He is best as a deep-lying forward, creating space with clever runs and playing in his strike partner.

That partner might be Nixon, a big, strong center forward who is good in the air. He offers the skills of an old-school English target man.

It might be Comley, a clinical finisher with flair. Hamza is perhaps the most well-rounded, versatile forward in the club. He can also fill in for Evans, dropping deeper and serving as a creator.

Or, it might be Benson, who is the only striker in the squad who offers pure pace.

As a whole, I'm very happy with this group, who give me the ability to set up my attack in myriad ways.


I'm quite fond of this team already. I've had to assemble them from the scrap heap of English football. Eleven of them were signed as free agents, and three of the seven players I started with are now gone. Only loanee Harrison came to Heritage Park from another club.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

17 August 2013

South Shields v. Bishop Auckland
Filtrona Park, South Shields

It was an exciting game for a neutral, and a satisfying one if you were supporting the home team, but we weren't too happy with the way our season opener turned out.

The Mariners struck first, through teenage striker Max Hicks, and that goal held up to give them the advantage after 45 minutes. Early in the second half, Elliott O'Connor, deputizing for Kenny Johnson in defense, drew a yellow card and, while I didn't know it at the time, that miscue would prove to be a big one.

Just after the hour, we equalized and then took the lead in the space of three minutes. Graham Evans fired in a free kick from just outside the corner of the area. Then, Hamza Comley ran onto a ball from Paul Dudley and blasted it across the face of goal and in at the far post.

I made some tactical adjustments, directing the lads to play more defensively and sending Earl McNamara to the technical area to replace O'Connor. Before I could get Elliott off the pitch, he slew-footed Hicks and drew another yellow. Yellow plus yellow equals red, and a prompt dismissal for Mr. O'Connor.

The Mariners wasted no time taking advantage of their numerical superiority. Hicks and wide man Kevin Mitten each scored, and South Shields walked away with the points.

South Shields 3 (Hicks 34, 78; Mitten 84)
Bishop Auckland 2 (Evans 63, Comley 66)

Bishops Lineup: Laundon, Smith (McNamara), O'Connor, John, Wilson, Dudley (Jennings), White, Austin, Edwards, Comley, Evans.
Booked: O'Connor 2, Wilson.

Attendance: 135.


20 August 2013

Today we welcomed Adam Henderson to the club. He's 24, and like almost everyone else I've found, he was without a club when I signed him.

Adam will hopefully provide us with the creative presence in midfield that we've lacked so far. He possesses the awareness to get into good positions and the technical skill to make things happen, and he'll do his part defensively, too.

He'll earn £25/week, well under what I'd thought I would have to pay for a player of his quality.


20 August 2013

Bishop Auckland v. Team Northumbria
Heritage Park

New man Henderson was on the team sheet for our home opener. A brace from Josh Benson, also making his season bow, gave us the goals we needed to secure the result on this chilly Tuesday evening.

A clumsy attempt at a clearance by Team North's Danny Hill struck Benson in the chest about 30 yards from goal, leaving Josh one-on-one with the 'keeper. He drilled the shot high to the left corner and past John Smith's outstretched glove.

Team North equalized in the opening minutes of the second half, and for a while it looked like a draw was the most likely outcome. Then, with the clock ticking down, substitute Martin White played in Benson, who coolly slotted home.

Northumberland are tipped for a spot near the top of the table, so this was a very good win--accomplished with several lads playing in unfamiliar positions due to the fact we'd played three days earlier. Hamza Comley and Liam Harrison, for example, were pressed into service on the wings, and did well.

Bishop Auckland 2 (Benson 34, 87)
Team Northumberland 1 (Johnson 46)

Bishops Lineup: Sambrook, Smith (Dudley), McNamara, John, Wilson, Harrison, Jennings, Henderson, Comley (White), Benson, Nixon.
Booked: None.

Attendance: 241.

[Young Drachma]

Nice.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

Nice.

Thanks, YD. It's good to have you along for the ride.

Anyone who's reading: feel very free to comment. It's encouraging to know there's an audience out there!

24 August 2013

Sunderland Ryhope v. Bishop Auckland
Meadow Park, Sunderland

There are football matches that can't be explained or summarized by a quick look at the statistics, and today's was one of those matches. By most objective measures, Sunderland Ryhope were the better side today. They won the possession battle, outshot us, generated more chances, and topped us where it counted: on the scoreboard.

Still, walking away from the pitch, it was hard to feel like we'd been outplayed, and I told the players that in the changing room.

Today's match was our third in seven days, and our back four featured three players from our youth teams. Mick Mansford, 18, came up from the Under 21s to fill in at right back. Chris Hill, also 18, played beside him, and Sam Miles, even younger at 16, manned the left flank.

Mansford, a versatile player who is best in the middle of the park, struggled a bit, but the other two youngsters played extremely well, especially Hill, who lofted a long free kick from behind the midline over the head of the Ryhope defense and onto the run of Graham Evans. The striker made no mistake, and five minutes into the second half, we were level.

Lee Barnes headed home Robert Lee's cross to put Ryhope back ahead, and that's how the match ended.

Nevertheless, our lads played hard for 90 minutes, taking everything our more experienced opponents could dish out--on their own grounds--and nearly nicked a point. It's hard to find fault with that.

Sunderland Ryhope 2 (Pratley 13, Barnes 76)
Bishop Auckland 1 (Evans 49)

Bishops' Lineup: Laundon, Mansford, Hill, O'Connor (Wilson), Miles, Dudley, White, Austin (Henderson), Edwards, Benson (Comley), Evans.
Booked: O'Connor.

Attendance: 96.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

31 August 2013

Bishop Auckland (18th, 3 pts) v. Dunston UTS(19th, 3 pts)
Heritage Park

Two sides who have struggled in the early weeks of the season met at Heritage Park on the final day of August. For the second time this year, a multi-goal performance from a Bishops striker sparked the team to victory.

This time the goal-scoring hero was Graham Evans, and he bagged a hat trick as we saw off Dunston, 3-1.

Once again, the visitors scored first. At about the 40' mark, we began attacking with more energy, keeping the pressure on the Dunston defense, and in stoppage time, Evans was clattered in the penalty area. He did the honors himself, and we went into the break on level terms.

Early in the second half, Hamza Comley played in Evans for one of the easiest goals he'll ever get, thanks to the quality of Comley's pass. Graham's third goal was the most impressive of the bunch. He took a deep cross from Paul Dudley on the half-volley, and punched it in at the far post.

This was our most complete performance of the young season, by far. We had 61% of the ball, completed 83% of our passes, and had more shots, clear chances, and half chances.

Following the game, a journalist from the Non-League Paper called Ian Clay tried to stir up trouble between myself and Dunston manager Nick Lewis. Their defender, Frazer Byron, emerged from a tough challenge with a broken arm, and Clay asked Nick about it. I'd expect that, but Clay implied we "play close to the edge and often cross the line of what might be considered acceptable physicality."

To his credit, Nick wouldn't take the bait. He said he didn't think I'd send a team out to inflict injury or be deliberately dirty. "Abrasive" and "combative" were the words he used to describe us.

Ian Clay's opinion of me is described as "Hatred," so his behavior doesn't surprise me.

Bishop Auckland 3 (Evans pen 45+3, 51, 67)
Dunston 1 (Porter 27)

Bishops' Lineup: Sambrook, Smith, O'Connor (Johnson), John, Wilson, Dudley, White (Austin), Jennings, Edwards (Hill), Comley, Evans.
Booked: None. (Abrasive and Combative, indeed. The play that, unfortunately, resulted in Byron's injury didn't draw a yellow card.)

Attendance: 190.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

7 September 2013

Bishop Auckland (9th, 6 pts) v. Bedlington Terriers (11th)
Heritage Park

A relatively uneventful week around Bishop Auckland FC ended with a visit from Bedlington Terriers on Saturday afternoon. Both clubs went into the match solidly positioned in the middle third of the table, and a close contest was therefore no surprise.

We're developing a bad habit of allowing our opponents to score first. This time, centre back Antony John found himself in the wrong spot at the wrong time, and a Terriers cross caromed off his thigh and into our goal. There was little Antony or 'keeper Danny Sambrook could do about it.

Antony's rough day only got worse from there. He suffered a hard knock a few minutes later and had to exit the contest.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Josh Benson demonstrated how good things can happen to players who work hard. When a slightly errant pass from Callum Edwards got past him, Josh responded quickly to challenge Terriers captain Conor Hutchings. His tidy tackle dispossessed Hutchings, and Graham Evans pounced on the loose ball. Benson promptly got to his feet and ran into the box, where Evans picked him out with a lovely pass. From there, the rest was easy for Benson.

That's the way the match ended, and everybody believed the result was fair to both sides.

Player/assistant manager Kenny Johnson made his first start of the season at center back, and played 90 minutes of solid football.

Bishop Auckland 1 (Benson 48)
Bedlington Terriers 1 (Antony John o.g. 17)

Bishops' Lineup: Sambrook, Jennings, Johnson, John (Smith), Wilson, Dudley, White (Henderson), Austin, Edwards, Benson, Evans (Nixon).
Booked: None.

Attendance: 195.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

10 September 2013

Stotfold v. Bishop Auckland
FA Vase, Second Round

Roker Park, Stotfold

The only knock-out tournament in which Bishops play is the FA Vase. Our Second Round tie took us to Roker Park--not the storied old grounds in Sunderland, but a stadium by the same name in Bedfordshire. There, we faced Stotfold, a Spartans South Midlands Premier outfit. The Eagles were trying to keep above the relegation zone, so we had hopes for a positive result.

I brought out a rotated side, featuring several of the young lads we'd blooded against Sunderland Ryhope last month.

For a change, we scored first, through wide man Paul Dudley, only to have Paul Cardoza reply for Stotford two minutes later. After the half, Cardoza struck again to put his side up a goal, and this time it was our turn to answer with an equalizer.

Strike partners Hamza Comley and Lee Nixon teamed up for a very nice goal. Comley began the sequence, taking a pass from Louis Jennings and making an incisive run that split two defenders. Stopping just outside the area, he spotted Nixon charging up the channel to his left and pushed the ball ahead to him. Lee was all alone and calmly slotted home.

On to extra time we went, and four minutes in, Phil Wilson hit a long, diagonal free kick into the area. Centre half Earl McNamara leaped for the ball and headed it sharply downward, off the floor and past the goalie for the match-winner.

Stotfold 2 (Cardoza 44, 52)
Bishop Auckland 3 (Dudley 42, Nixon 53, McNamara 94)

Bishops' Lineup: Laundon, Miles, Hill (McNamara), Wilson, Dudley, Henderson (Harrison), Jennings, Edwards (Mansford), Comley, Nixon.
Booked: None.

Attendance: 47.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

14 September 2013

Newton Aycliffe (22nd, 4 pts) v. Bishop Auckland (11th, 7 pts)
Moore Lane Park, Newton Aycliffe

This match had "trap" written all over it. Nobody fancied Newton Aycliffe at the beginning of the season, and they had struggled out of the gate. The bookmakers liked them, however, and made them slight favorites. Perhaps a couple of our lads wouldn't have been quite so complacent had they been aware of this fact.

I nearly pulled Graham Evans off the pitch at the half hour, and in retrospect, I wish I had. He never had his head in the game. He set the tone for our side in a lifeless first half.

Early in the second period, our other forward, Josh Benson, gave us the lead with a fine effort that I hoped would shake us from our doldrums. He released a hard drive that Fraser Morgan could only parry away at his left post. The ball came back to Josh, and he hit it past a diving Morgan and in.

However, we couldn't close the match out. Newton Aycliffe pulled level on 73', and we had to settle for an unsatisfying draw.

The outcome can't be blamed on the presence of several youngsters in the side. Chris Hill was steady on defense, and Mick Mansford gave us an injection of life when I brought him on for Evans. Lawrence Reece, an 18-year-old who can handle any task on the left flank or in the middle of the park, made his debut as a substitute. He's a highly-regarded wing-back prospect who looked good in limited action.

Newton Aycliffe 1 (Riley 73)
Bishop Auckland 1 (Benson 53)

Bishops' Lineup: Sambrook, Smith, Hill, John, Wilson, Dudley (Reece), White, Austin, Edwards, Benson, Evans (Mansford).
Booked: None.

Attendance: 146.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

18 September 2013

Morpeth Town (15th, 8 pts) v. Bishop Auckland (13th, 8 pts)
Craik Park, Morpeth

A few of the classic managerial cliches apply this time. We really did play well enough to get a point, at least, but the breaks of the game all seemed to go to the Highwaymen. There's nothing I could point to as a problem; they scored two, we didn't score, simple as that.

Their goals weren't works of footballing art, but they weren't flukes, either. The first goal came at the end of some patient play by Morpeth Town. The second one was an alert play by teenage striker Mike Tittcomb. His drive was pushed away by a sprawling Danny Sambrook, and before Danny could scramble to his feet, Tittcomb secured the loose ball and directed it in at the far post.

I was easy on the lads after the match. They didn't play badly, and just as easily could have come away with the points.

Morpeth Town 2 (Haigh 48, Tittcomb 68)
Bishop Auckland 0

Bishops' Lineup: Sambrook, McNamara, Johnson, O'Connor (Henderson), Wilson, Dudley, White (Austin), Jennings, Edwards, Evans (Nixon), Comley.
Booked: Johnson.

Attendance: 88.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

19 September 2013

Just what you need when you're about to face one of the league's best teams away: the news that your star striker will miss the game due to injury.

Graham Evans suffered a knock against Marpeth Town, which at the time seemed like a fairly minor inconvenience. I played it safe and took Graham off, and I'm glad I did. It turned out that he'll miss about a week with a dead leg.

He won't be available when we travel to Billingham Synthonia on the 17th.



21 September 2013

Billingham Synthonia (2nd, 16 pts) v. Bishop Auckland (16th, 8 pts)
Central Avenue, Billingham

Our fixture list has been quite congested lately, so I've been having to do a lot of mixing and matching when I make out my lineup sheet. Phil Wilson, who is usually a left back, played higher up the pitch today, and he looked comfortable there--running into space in the box and scoring a very tidy goal off a deft pass from Josh Benson.

Two minutes after Phil's goal, 'keeper Liam Laundon was clattered and had to surrender his post to Danny Sambrook. Liam had made a dandy save to deny Nathan Harbord in the opening minutes of the match.

Harbord, undeterred, beat Sambrook with a cheeky 25-yard lob, and we ended the first half level.

Just after the hour mark, Michael Austin pulled up lame after a challenge, and before I could get his substitute in, Billingham's Scott Moscardini nicked the ball from him and played in Harbord, who scored again to put the Synners ahead. We turned up our offensive intensity a notch, and then another, but we weren't able to get the goal we needed.

The Synners went top of the table with their victory, while we slid down another two places. And, Austin's hurt thigh will keep him out of action for 2-3 weeks.

Billingham Synthonia 2 (Harbord 43, 63)
Bishop Auckland 1 (Wilson 29)

Bishops' Lineup: Laundon (Sambrook), smith, Hill, John, Miles, Mansford (Harrison), Jennings, Austin (White), Wilson, Benson, Nixon
Booked: Miles, Hill

Attendance: 139.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

28 September 2013

Bishop Auckland (18th, 8 pts) v. Spennymoor Town (2nd, 18 pts)
Heritage Park

This week, I had the feeling that my job with the Two Blues was in serious jeopardy. We'd been tipped as a mid-table club, and we were some way off that standard. I had the impression that a poor result against Spennymoor Town might earn me the sack.

The Moors were not the club I'd pick to play with my job on the line. They entered the contest riding a streak of eight games without a loss. Fortunately, it had been a week since we played last, so I could field a full-strength side. And, it was a good thing that we'd play them on friendly territory.

Our lads responded with one of their best efforts of the season. Spennymoor concede very few goals, so our best hope was keeping our own defense tight. That we did, limiting the visitors' chances and handling those they did create.

Danny Sambrook made five saves for us, two of them on very dangerous shots. Elliott O'Connor was a force on our back line, winning 13 headers and making 10 interceptions. O'C is prone to recklessness at times--he drew another yellow card today--but he's giving me all kinds of reasons to pick him for the first team on a regular basis.

We'll see if this result is enough to keep the board happy...

Bishop Auckland 0
Spennymoor Town 0

Bishops' Lineup: Sambrook, Smith, O'Connor, John, Wilson, Dudley, White (Henderson), Jennings, Edwards (Hill), Benson, Comley (Nixon).
Booked: O'Connor.

Attendance: 173.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

29 September 2013

The manager of a local football club was sacked last night, but it wasn't me.

West Auckland Town were given even odds to win the league this season, but they've endured an even rockier start than we have. With four losses in their last five games, West sank to 21st place, and that cost manager Russell Morley his job.

The news article announcing Morley's sacking listed me as third in the "sack race," with 6:1 odds of getting my own P-45.

Last month, I asked the board to find a senior affiliate for us. I hoped a relationship with a larger club would provide us with infusions of cash and young players to bring in on loan. Today I learned the board couldn't find a suitable club. Bugger that.


1 October 2013

Bishop Auckland (17th, 9 pts) v. Crook Town (24th, 4 pts)
Heritage Park

With bottom-of-the-table Crook Town coming to Heritage Park, it's safe to say I needed three points to give myself any hope of sticking around for long. Once again, I had to rotate in a number of players, and the supporters weren't at all happy with the side I sent out today. Maybe it was the weather--10 degrees with a biting wind--that made them so grouchy.

They do like Graham Evans, though, and the striker was back in the eleven today. On the quarter hour, he did what Graham Evans does: score. The striker spread the ball right to Paul Dudley, and continued his run into the box. Dudley stopped short of the byline and squared it for Evans, and the finish was easy.

Conor Anderson equalized for the Black and Ambers, heading in a corner over Danny Sambrook's outstretched gloves.

When the clock reached 85 minutes and the score still remained 1-1, I began wondering what I'd say to the board when they called me in to account for today's poor result. Now it was raining, too, which only added to my gloomy mood.

Again, Graham Evans brought a smile to my face. This time, he lobbed a perfectly weighted pass from the midline onto the run of Hamza Comley, who'd come on for Lee Nixon. Comley's advance drew Crook 'keeper Cole Camfield out as far as the penalty spot, which is where he fell on his keister when he leaped to get Hamza's chipped shot. The ball nestled softly against the back of the net, putting the Two Blues up once again.

Comley celebrated his second goal of the season with a flip, and his feet had barely returned to the floor before Camfield was fishing the ball out of his goal again. Callum Edwards crossed for an unmarked Dudley at the right edge of the area, and Dudley fired it off the inside of the post.

The supporters' spokesman, Luke Fare, had the cheek to say that the fans were disappointed at the outcome, which he blamed on the weakened team we fielded.

Say, Luke...did you look at the scoreboard, mate?

The board was suitably pleased, though, and my job security is Stable once again.

Bishop Auckland 3 (Evans 15, Comley 85, Dudley 86)
Crook Town 1 (Anderson 27)

Bishops' Lineup: Sambrook, McNamara, Johnson, Miles, Wilson, Dudley (Mansford), Henderson (Jennings), Hill, Edwards, Evans, Nixon (Comley).
Booked: None.
Attendance: 131.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

5 October 2013

West Auckland Town (21st, 9 pts) v. Bishop Auckland (14th, 12 pts)
Darlington Road, West Auckland

My first Auckland derby was the debut match for West's new boss, Daniel Woodman. Daniel has his work cut out for him. West's team ought to be more competitive than it has been so far; they're paying a lot (by our league's standard) to players who are, on paper, better than most of the clubs in the league.

We spoiled Woodman's debut, thanks to a brace from Josh Benson. His partnership with Graham Evans, in which Josh plays as an advanced forward with Graham dropping deeper, has become increasingly productive. Today, Graham played provider, setting up both Josh's goals. They are joint third on the league scoring tables with six goals apiece, and they are first and second in average rating: Evans at 7.49 and Benson at 7.36.

Elliott O'Connor was especially active on our back line again today, winning 6 of his 10 headers and intercepting 15 more passes.

We've fought back to 12th in the league, where the pundits predicted we'd finish. The table is very tightly bunched, too--we're only five points behind the fifth place team.

West Auckland 1 (Naylor 43)
Bishop Auckland 2 (Benson 6, 55)

Bishops' Lineup: Sambrook, Smith, O'Connor, John (Miles), Wilson, Dudley, White, Jennings, Comley (Edwards), Benson, Evans (Hill).
Booked: Smith.

Attendance: 132.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

12 October 2013

Newcastle Benfield (15th, 15 pts) v. Bishop Auckland (12th, 15 pts)
Sam Smith's Park, Newcastle

Many observers believe Newcastle Benfield have been underachieving so far this year, but their performance against us today would not support that assertion at all. The Lions outplayed us, and their 2-0 victory was well-deserved.

I was pleased with our first half; we controlled the ball well and limited their chances, and went in to the half time break on 0-0. Danger man Steve Shillito headed in off the bar just before the hour mark to put Benfield ahead. I'd tried to bring Shillito to Heritage Park earlier in the season, but his salary demands were too rich for our blood, and he showed his quality today.

The Lions scored a second goal, after I went to an attacking style to try to snatch an equalizer.

Newcastle Benfield 2 (Shillito 58, Williams 89)
Bishop Auckland 0

Bishops' Lineup: Sambrook, Smith (Comley), O'Connor, John, Wilson, Dudley, White, Jennings, Edwards, Benson (Nixon), Evans.
Booked: Comley.

Attendance: 102.