Arngrove Northern League

28 August 2007

Calvin applies the permanent gloss

by Ken Milgate

Durham City 4
Clarke 13, 22
Farrell 36
Graydon 78

Chester-le-Street 0

In a highly entertaining and pulsating derby marked by many polished individual performances, Calvin Smith’s consistency of work rate over the whole game deserved man-of-the-match recognition – his movement off the ball and passing were particularly eye-catching.

After an opening ten minutes of end-to-end sparring, City got in the first blow when Stephen Capper outstripped the defence down the left wing and jinked his way along the by-line before giving Jamie Clarke the proverbial chance “on a plate”, only for the latter to blaze high and wide from close range.

Clarke more than atoned for his miss three minutes later when he beat Joss Carmichael with a clinical left-foot drive in to the opposite bottom corner after a superb through ball from Tommy English.

An English pile driver flashed past the far post as City mounted attack on attack – the chance stemming from a lay-back by Keith Graydon after he entertained the crowd with a cameo of ball control in a vain attempt to fashion himself a goal-scoring opportunity with his back to goal.

An English left-wing cross saw Clarke double his night’s tally with a header on 22minutes, but the move had been started by a fantastic cross-field pass from Smith.

Even skipper Andy Bowes went close when he hooked over from a Graydon corner before a Paul Richardson distance shot rattled John Mohan’s crossbar to register the visitors’ presence.

On the half hour City should have gone 3-up but Capper’s left-wing delivery was neither shot nor cross when Graydon’s pass deserved a more decisive finish.

Five minutes later a quality chipped pass from Graydon produced the 3-goal lead, when Jimmy Farrell hooked over his marker before firing home at the back post.

In the final five minutes of the first half Farrell was penalized for an ambitious overhead kick after a succession of attackers and defenders alike had hacked at a ball which had the attitude of a supermarket trolley in need of attention! For City, Mohan was forced to save full length at his near post to save at the expense of a corner.

Apart from a Bowes’ header from a Graydon corner, City’s attacks were curbed by their inability to pick up the momentum of the first half, allowing Chester to strut their stuff in longer periods of territorial advantage.

Farrell pressurized the home defence with a bullet header from an English cross and was then denied by Carmichael’s timely run off his line on 70minutes as the City striker chased a Lewis Dodds pass.

Ironically enough, City desperately needed a goal to re-establish their dominance despite a commanding lead: the goal came on 78minutes and was an absolute gem, Graydon chipping the keeper at the post after yet another set-up from English.

City soon re-discovered their dynamic and substitute Steven Richardson, on for Farrell, was only a trifle late in his back-post charge to convert a Smith right-wing cross.

As the game entered added-on time Carmichael produced a double save to deny Smith and Richardson in quick succession, from distance and a close-range rebound respectively.

The quality of players twiddling their thumbs and flexing their muscles on City’s bench underlines the depth of the squad currently at Lee Collings’ disposal; hopefully, patience and opportunity will be duly rewarded.

Durham City – Mohan, Butler, Capper, Dodds, Pitt, Bowes, Smith (C), Graydon (Harrison 80), Clarke, Farrell (Richardson 76), English (Price 85)

Subs not used – Connell, Smith (R)

Chester-le-Street – Carmichael, Wake, Macintosh, March, Armstrong, Donaldson, Sager (Fairless 46), Richardson (Gillespy 46), Emmerson, Davidson (Cook 80), Draper