Arngrove Northern League
09 October 2007
Appleby turnover
by Ken Milgate

 
Durham City 1
Appleby 83

Bedlington Terriers 0

City left it late to maintain their 100% home League record; with both sides playing for a win, sub Andy Appleby took only eight minutes to justify his call into action from the bench when he turned Keith Graydon’s right-wing cross over the line.

Steven Richardson had two early pops at goal in the opening five minutes, a tame shot straight at the keeper disappointingly ending a promising build-up and a defender blocking a later shot.

With Stephen Capper relishing the early quick tempo of the game, City attacked frequently down the left flank and the best chance of the match thus far fell to Tommy English who forced Karl Dryden to concede a corner with a smart fingertip save.

The Terriers were more than playing their part in an entertaining match but their final ball was frustrating their efforts while City were having trouble picking up their runners.

A Jamie Clarke left-footer from 25yards was easy meat for Dryden, but he excelled himself just before the interval to keep out an English effort from a Richardson assist.

City finished the first half creating many openings, but the Terriers closed down well and the opening 45minutes finished goalless.

Dryden again denied English on 52minutes when he clawed away a shot-on-the-turn.

By the hour City’s midfield was looking stale of new ideas and in need of freshening up, which inspired the Terriers to fancy their chances of three points, having survived intact so far.

Lee Hamilton chased a long through-ball on 68minutes, but fortunately for City his final shot was high and wide.

Six minutes later English almost snatched a goal with an audacious lob from just inside the half way line, the ball landing on the roof of the net.

With a quarter of an hour to go, Calvin Smith and Andy Appleby replaced Johnny Butler and English respectively.

The pace of the game found an even higher gear as both sides fancied three points were there for the taking; but for Dryden conceding a corner from a Clarke shot and Capper clearing his lines after Hamilton’s left-wing cross had fizzed past John Mohan, a goal would have materialized.

The match winner came seven minutes from time after a defender had cleared an Andy Bowes effort off the line and Graydon delivered back into the danger area.

The best move of the match was a superb diagonal ball from Calvin Smith which arrived seconds before a galloping Richardson could beat Dryden running off his line; however, it was the former’s namesake, Richard, who was my man-of-the-match for the second game running with his commanding presence at the back and dangerous sorties up front at occasional corners.

Tactical substitution proved successful yet again!

Durham City – Mohan, Harrison, Capper, Dodds, Bowes, Smith (R), Butler (Smith (C) 75), Graydon (Bell 87), Clarke, Richardson, English (Appleby 75)

Subs not used – Morris, Farrell

Bedlington Terriers – Dryden, Eastway (Betts 87), Rehhead, Kennelly, Harmison, Huntley, Latimer, Carr, Benjamin (Marshall 76), Hamilton, Waters