Marske 0v2 Guisborough Town

The second meeting between the 2 sides this season saw a very close encounter at the GER Stadium on Wednesday night, with the away side getting revenge over their local rivals after their opening day defeat.
We received a nice friendly welcome as we entered the ground 10 minutes before kick-off, and after getting a nice cheese burger from the food hut, we ventured round to the opposite side of the ground behind the dugouts.
Despite the volume of games called off on the night, and the fact that this was one of the league's biggest derby games, there was a distinctly low turn out for the game. Many may have been deterred by the weather forecast, but the night was nice, and the pitch was perfect for football.
The opening period of play was frantic, with both teams looking to make an early breakthrough. Marske had the best of the early chances, but they couldn't break the deadlock. Fine saves from both keepers-and the Guisborough Woodwork, kept the score at 0-0. With 30 minutes on the clock, the Guisborough centre forward went down in the penalty area without any contact been made. Despite strong appeals, the referee was having none of it, and waved everyone away. If anything, the Guisborough lad was lucky not to get booked for diving!
The rest of the first half seemed to disappear slowly into nothing, and when the half time whistle came, despite Marske been firmly on top, it looked like a strong possibility we were going to see extra time!
A short walk around the ground at half time to get a cup of tea stretched the legs a bit, though it was more just to pass the time waiting for the teams to come back out.
Whatever the Guisborough manager said to his lads at Half time certainly paid off. Pressure was piled on the Marske defence from the whistle. It wasn't long either before the deadlock was broken, when a Glen Butterworth strike from outside the box found its way in after maybe a very slight deflection. This gave the away side massive impetuous, and it was not long later before it was 2, when another long range strike, this time from Michael James crept just inside the post.
Marske weren't going to let things go though, and another effort hit the woodwork, and before the night was out, they hit the frame of the goal for the fourth time, which summed up there night.
The handbags did come out as expected, although the first incident went unpunished. The second incident inside the Marske box was seen clearly by referee Richard Brine, and Guisborough were awarded a penalty, with the Marske left back escaping with a yellow card, despite appearing to elbow or punch his opponent in the back of the head. However, a magnificent save from the Marske keeper kept them in it.
This proved to be in vain however, as Guisborough held on to go through to the next round of the E.A. Cup.

Billingham Town v Billingham Synthonia 03/11/09

A bitter cold evening at Bedford Terrace provided for some half-decent entertainment as Billingham Synthonia snatched their first derby win since 2005.

Manchester United played in Moscow the other week, with sub-zero temperatures. Well, now I know how they felt...sort of!! It was bitter cold in Billingham tonight, probably the same anywhere you went, and the November air started to hint that winter is upon us. Walking into the ground a whole 30 minutes before kick off, we managed to get a programme and make our way nicely around to behind one of the goals. The programme provided excellent pre-match entertainment, with the Goalkeeper quiz proving to be too difficult for us. I got 3 right, which was more than any of the others did. The next bold choice to make was to make a pre-match visit to the canteen, where I indulged in a warming "Cup of Soup". Our exit from the tea hut was timed perfectly, as I bumped into a familiar face from a previous game, and as we walked back to our spot behind the goal, we began catching up on all that had happened in the last two months.

As the players made their way out from the tunnel, an enthusiastic young "fan" close to me shouted "Come on Billingham!" Obvious who he was supporting then...

The opening 10 minutes provided no real openings for either side. Much of the play was centred around the middle of the pitch, and when the ball did venture deep into the last third of the pitch, it was swiftly cleared. The first half chance of the game came in the 15th minute, when Synners Nathan Jameson cross from the left eluded everyone, and somehow found its way into the back of the net. It wasn't long though until town hit back. Three minutes later, Stephen Flockett found himself with time and space in the box, and his curling effort passed the helpless Synners keeper to make it 1-1.

Synners were the team who looked more likely to take the lead, and some lackluster Town defending made you wonder how long it would take for this to come. Half way through the half, another Synners effort hit the side netting, and a corner soon after from the left sees another good chance go begging.

With 10 minutes left before half time, Town broke away. This risky situation left a Synners defender no choice obviously but to rugby tackle his opponent. Some optimistic cries of "OFF, OFF, OFF" from the home support were not met by referee Khatib, and the offending player walked away with a caution. The resulting free kick almost saw Town draw level, with the shot just whiskers away.

Half time arrived, and the usual entertainment of watching the subs warm up provided mild entertainment, and it was easy to see why they were on the bench!!

I delayed my Half time venture to the tea hut until the beginning of the second half. Despite coming away with a tasty steak burger, this proved to be a vital mistake, as I missed Jameson's second goal against his former club. More aggressive fouls went in left, right and centre; showing how much this game meant to the players.

The game seemed to be fizzling out, with few chances been created by either team. I was starting to think whether my 3-1 Synners win prediction would come true, and just as I was talking about it...GOAL!!! Danny Earl pounced on a weak back pass and a slip from the Town keeper- whom he duly rounded, and slotted home to give Synners a two goal cushion. With just 5 minutes left on the clock, a free kick from the left hand side was headed across goal. With the Synners keeper nowhere to be seen, Stephen Flockett flew in and scrambled home to grab his second of the game, also against his former club.

Despite the late goal, Town just didn't seem to have it in them to push for the equaliser, and it was the away fans celebrating their first derby win since 2005. That was also the year England last won the Ashes before winning them again this year. Maybe something in it?!?

An interesting fact as well from the game. I was aware that all the Synthonia goals were scored by former players, and have found out that all the goals on the night were scored by players against there old club! There's one for a future pub quiz. (Thanks to Paulo on NLZ for that.)

All the best to Synners in the next round!!!

West Auckland Town v Spennymoor Town 31/10/09

A superb Spennymoor performance saw them run out comfortable 5-0 winners over the West Auckland at Darlington Road today.
I knew I had arrived in West Auckland when my friend spotted a sign that read "Home to the winners of the 1st ever World Cup Winners". As soon as I decided to venture west to the small town/large village of West Auckland, I knew parking would be a problem. The Memorial Hall Car Park was full, the roads were lined with cars, and the advice of a local shopkeeper was to park at the Post Office...which was also full!
After finding a quiet road to park in, we embarked on the walk to the ground. After a short excursion into the shop to a get a drink, (where I ended up buying two drinks for £1.60, even though I didn't want them!) we arrived at the small ground. I was very impressed with the small stand that lined one side of the pitch, along with the clubhouse next to it. Behind one goal was a uncovered terraced area, where all the away fans congregated in the second half. Myself and my friend set up camp opposite the main stand towards the corner flag at the bottom of the ground. A quick glance through the programme, and a look at the Half Time food menu filled the time before kick off quite nicely.
The two teams walked out of the tunnel to Tina Turner's "The Best", but today this applied to one team only. Spennymoor kicked downhill the 1st Half, and centre forward Jamie Clarke had the first real chance of the game, but his free header was straight into the keeper's arms. However, the deadlock was broken shortly after when on 11 minutes, a ball across from the right wing bounced over a West Auckland defender's head, and a first time shot on the half volley from Chris Emms flew into the back of the net.
Another defensive mix up, this time between the West Auckland keeper and centre back almost allowed Jamie Clarke through, but his toe poke just went wide. Another Spennymoor chance from distance was saved easily by the keeper, but this really did signal their intentions. My friend-who made lots of comments during the game as you will find out-commented on Jamie Clarke's ability, stating he was very good for his age. This seemed to be a jinx Clarke, as in the 28th minute, he completely missed the ball. However, Spennymoor kept pressing, and a minute later, the West Auckland keeper was forced into a fine save close to his left post. Former Darlington man Anthony Peacock started a bit of show-boating, but his audacious pass did not come off.
Clarke was yet again at the centre of another chance. After been played through, he looked destined to score Spenny's second, but a last ditch challenge saw the ball taken off his big toe just as he was about to pull the trigger. Screams from the Spennymoor following behind the goal for a penalty were waved away quite correctly by referee Mr Campbell. It wasn't long before the Moor's had another penalty shout, and this time the referee pointed to the spot-rightly so. He still wasn't popular with the Spennymoor fans, who believed he should have let play go on. However, former Republic of Ireland international Keith Graydon slotted home the spot kick to send Spennymoor into half time 2 goals to the good. West Auckland's best chance of the half came with 8 minutes left of the first half, but the long range effort went wide.
Half time arrived, and I sampled the Burgers on offer from Kath's Kaff. I wasn't disappointed with what I tasted. Very nice, topped off with a hot cup of tea. I was worried however, to see a 5 year old walking out of the clubhouse with a half a pint of lager! It wasn't too bad...until he took a big mouthful of it!! Minutes later, we saw him running across the terrace behind the goal, in a joyous mood. In the Football League, half time entertainment varies from people taking penalties, cheerleaders and even Delia Smith making a drunken plea to football supporters. West Auckland, like many non-league teams, involves the substitutes warming up and having shots at goal against each other. The twist here was the goalkeeper. A young lad, maybe 13/14ish, and the same in stone took up position between the sticks. I didn't expect much of him, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. He was pulling off some stunning saves from the West Auckland substitutes. His hands must have been stinging afterwards!!
The second half continued on from the 1st. Spennymoor had a chance early on, but another regulation save was all that was needed from the keeper. A ball across from the right wing also provided another chance for Spennymoor, but Clarke's overhead kick attempt made contact with only one thing-the head of the West Auckland Centre Back! After some excellent build up play, Clarke was again played through, but his right foot shot hit the side netting.
West Auckland's best chance of the game fell in the 55th minute. A well struck free kick was goal bound, but Chris Turns saved well to his right.
Something I never thought I would hear at a Northern League game, but I must quote my friend. "That 10 [Anthony Peacock] and 11 [Chris Emms] remind me of Messi and Eto'o at Barcelona last season." If that's not a compliment, I don't know what is. The play between the two all game was fantastic, some fluid passing and moving between the two was exquisite.
Play seemed to die down for a bit, and it appeared Spennymoor were happy to play out the remainder of the game, and settle for the scoreline.
However, with 18 minutes left on the clock, a ball over the top was latched onto by Chris Lawther, who had come on as a substitute, and he took the ball forward and slotted home for 3-0. Lawther had another good chance, but the keeper saved well low with his legs. On 82 minutes, Keith Graydon made it 4 with his second of the game. More great build up play down the left and a reverse ball from the byline to Graydon saw him finish comfortably for his second.
A 30 yard effort a minute later for Spennymoor nearly made it 5, but the post came to the keeper's rescue. However, with 5 minutes left, a fine through ball was pounced upon by Lawther who put the ball nicely into the net to complete Spennymoor's 5 Star Performance.
A late chance for Spennymoor's number 7 forced the Keeper to make a fine reaction save.
There had been many handball shouts during the game, and they were getting rather annoying. However the stupidest of the game occurred just before full time, when a shout by a Spennymoor player came in a good 5 seconds after the incident!
The best thing that West Auckland could hope for was for the final whistle to go...and when it did, they were resigned to the fact that the best team win. Despite a poor performance from West Auckland, you cannot take anything away from Spennymoor's performance. They played great football for the whole 90 minutes. They were not afraid to get the ball on the floor and play football. Their passing was brilliant, and the off the ball movement was second to none. If I were to criticise anything about their performance, it would be their poor set-pieces. I don't think that one set play led to a decent chance, and I think if they could sort that out, then Spennymoor will be the perfect package.
Admission: £5/£2.50; Programme £1

To Norton and Back...

Congratulations to Nathan Mulligan, who after impressing Darlington Manager Steve Staunton has signed a Contract with the League 2 Club until the end of the season. This will be Nathan's second spell at the League's bottom club, after failing to make the grade as a youngster with both Darlington and Middlesbrough.
This is the 2nd Northern League player to make the step up to League football this season, after Billy Greulich made the switch from Brandon to Hartlepool.
Both contributors to Around the Grounds wish Nathan all the best at Darlington!!

Norton & Stockton Ancients v Bishop Auckland 28/10/09

The last kick of the game was the decider in this thrilling contest on a cold evening at Norton's Station Road venue.
A very late arrival at the ground after going to pick up fellow attendees en route to the match went horribly wrong. It's not my fault that there are two churches with village halls on the same road! Then I had to pick my young cousin up who I had kindly invited along to see his first Non-League game. It was then a case of finding the quickest way to Norton...which I didn't.
With a slightly delayed kick off, we were lucky, and I got my favourite spot at Norton, just near the home dug out.
After last weeks 2-0 home win for Norton, Bishop were always going to be looking for revenge. A bright opening period of play started with Norton getting a free kick 30 yards out, which saw a comfortable save for the Auckland keeper. With 15 minutes on the clock, Norton's Keeper James Briggs flapped at a corner. A back post effort headed goal wards, and was cleared off the line, and the rebound was blocked by the same Norton Defender.
A Norton Counter attack created their first threatening chance of the half, but the finish was missing as the striker poked the ball wide.
However, the deadlock was broken on 22 minutes. A long clearance from the huge boot of the Bishop Auckland Keeper found his man to perfection. The ball was brought forward, and a nifty "one-two" between two Bishops players saw the ball volleyed into the back of the net from point blank range.
Norton didn't let their heads drop, and on 30 minutes, a 25 yard effort out of the blue produced a fine save from the Auckland keeper, and from the resulting corner, another chance was cleared off the line. This bizarrely resulted in jubilant cries from the Bishop's supporters. I don't know what goes in the drinks in their neck of the woods!
Briggs was again tested in the Norton Goal, pulling off a fine save from a goal bound effort. The 3rd clearance off the line of the night, again by an away defender, lead to a quick Bishop Auckland break. A defensive slip left Tyson Masters one-on-one with the keeper, and duly slotted home.
The last chance of the half fell to Norton. A defensive header went towards goal, but he was spared his blushes by a team-mate clearing off the line...again!!
Tonight, came a new phenomena in a Northern League game. I ate nothing at half time! However, I had promised my cousin that the Burgers from the "Norton Cafe" were top quality. And he wasn't disappointed! I quote: "These are better than McDonalds Burgers!" Back to the action on the pitch...
Norton came out onto the pitch looking like a determined team. With just 5 minutes on the clock, Norton won a free kick right on the edge of the Penalty Box. A routine straight from the training ground saw a near post shot hit the side netting. However, Norton still pushed on, and they were rewarded for the patience in the 61st minute, when a ball over the top was finished off past the keepers outstretched arm and into the back of the net. 2-1, and the game was back on!
Norton still drove forward, and Bishop Auckland were penned back in their own half for a long period. Another corner was half cleared by the nervous Bishop's defence. It was taken down nicely by the number 10 Sonny Andrews, and he hit the ball sweetly on the half volley. Now, this is time for a bit of poetic licence. I had the honour of been stood directly behind him when he struck the ball. It moved from left to right in the air, and the last minute dip took the keeper by surprise. A quality finish by a quality player. By some stoke of luck, my cousin had his phone out filming at the time. So Sonny, just for you, it will be on the site before long for you to savour!
The game was now any one's. Play went back and forth, until the 80th minute when a desperate tackle by a Norton defender, not dissimilar to one you'd see on the adjacent rugby fields, saw Bishop's win a penalty.
Again, my cousin had his phone out, and it will be another Norton Man who will want to see the video over and over again, as he pulled off a great penalty save, from what was a poor penalty.
And now our famous Quote of the Day. This week was from the Norton Dugout, where the shout of "Don't lose it, don't lose the f***er!" came from. Priceless!!
With just minutes to go, tempers flared up after a few tasty challenges, but the referee was quick to diffuse the situation.
Another Bishops counter, and another fine save. Play went down the other end, and Andrew's headed over from 4 yards out; a chance which could and should have sealed it.
However, with just seconds on the clock, Bishop Auckland has one last big push. A run through the middle, ball played out right-appeal for offside: "NO!" shouts the linesman! Striker clean through on Goal...Pandemonium behind the goal! The Bishop Auckland fans went mad!!! It was like they'd won the league! The ball is placed on the centre spot...3 long blasts on the referee's whistle, and Bishop Auckland had won in truly amazing fashion.
Final Score 3-2
A brilliant game for the neutrals, and what a reintroduction after 4 weeks away from it all.
Roll on Saturday...!!!
No photo's from the game tonight, but hopefully video action should follow shortly.

Sorry...

I think we must apologise for the lack of coverage over the past few weeks.
Sadly, Sporting and Work commitments have limited the opportunity to get to a game recently, and I am now starting to suffer from Withdrawl Symptoms.

Hopefully, next Saturday will see the return of us to a Non-League ground, and I can't wait!!

Billingham Town 1 v 6 Whitley Bay 29/09/09

Apologies for the absence in the last few weeks as sporting commitments and work have prevented us from being able to get to a match. So, we visited Billingham Town to see them take on an inform Whitley Bay for our first match in 3 weeks, Town looking to move up the table and Bay looking to take the top spot in SNL 1. There was a decent crowd to accompany what was to be a more than decent match, even the Town keeper gave us his thoughts as to what the outcome was going to be as he said " should see alot of goals tonight", and he wasn't wrong. It didn't take long for the action to begin and it was Town who created to first chance, the winger cut inside and and hit the shot from 18 yards which would have gone in if it wasn't for the Bay keeper tipping it onto the post. 3 minutes later it was Bay who were on the attack, they managed to win a corner which was played short, no one reacted to it and the Bay player had time to look up and whip the ball in to the back post which was then headed in by the Bay No.6 to give them a 1-0 lead. The action was non stop in favour of Whitley Bay and in the 12th minute they grabbed another, a shot from the edge of the box was going straight into the keepers hands but Bell managed to get a head on it which took it away from him and into the net, 2-0 Whitley. They were non stop and relentless and scored their 3rd in the 14th minute when a again a shot from the right of the box wasn't going in, however Bell was there again to turn it in from the penalty spot to pretty much seal the game even though the majority of the game was left. After that the game seemed to calm down and become even again and the scoreline stayed the same until half time luckily for Town.
The second half brought a change and not one to one of the teams but a change in officials, the referee had injured himself so one of the linesman stepped into the middle meaning that a qualified spectator had to run the line for the second half.
So back to the game and pretty much the same of the first half, Bay pressure and Town dogged defending. For Town it was damage limitation and for Bay it was how well could they increase there goal difference. They did so even more in the 63rd minute when substitute Lee Kerr shot low to the keepers left from the top of the box after a good passing build to give them a 4-0 lead. If Bay kept scoring like they were it would end up like a cricket score, however they seemed like they had taken there foot off the gas but were still pushing forward when they had the chance and made it 5-0 in the 70th minute. The ball was worked down the right hand side, the Bay player ran to the by line and cut the ball back across for Lee Kerr to head in for his second of the game. Town had a few chances to pull a couple of goals back during the game but they didn't have the quality to take the chances and the Bay keeper was also on form making a few good saves. They did grab a late consolation goal in the 88th minute when a ball was crossed in from the right to a man at the back post, he then passed the ball across the 6 yard box for a Town player to finish well. Bay weren't finished yet though as they showed that they were still wanting more goals as a minute later in the 89th minute they made it 6-1 when a cross from the right was headed in just to rub salt in the wounds. The final whistle went to Towns relief and it was back to the training ground for them as a lot of work needs to be done if they are to move away from the relegation zone, Bay on the other hand will see this as a good nights work and a job well done