Newton Moor Durham Challenge Cup
Quarter Final
08 January 2008
Who wants wins
by Ken Milgate

Durham City 0

Spennymoor Town 1
Bishop 16

Spennymoor thoroughly deserve their place in the last four of the Challenge Cup simply because they wanted to win the game more than City.

City were under the cosh from the whistle and hacked clear an early corner before Karl Richards blasted wide from a good position.  Spennymoor were so obviously up for the game that City were denied any attempt at putting together a decent attack.

John Mohan was forced to concede a corner on the quarter hour and Craig Bishop turned the in swinger past Mohan at his near post.

Four minutes later a David Manson free-kick was deflected for a corner and Mohan was forced to tip away two successive in-swinging corners of quality.

The visitors were making intelligent use of a swirling wind, but weather conditions apart, they were more determined in the tackle and quicker to the ball.

City eventually won two successive corners on 36minutes, Jimmy Farrell heading over Keith Graydon’s second set piece before Stephen Capper’s left-wing run produced a quality cross, but a box empty of support summed up City’s attitude to the game.

Eight minutes into the second half Stewart Morris registered a tame shot on goal before the referee took the players off in the teeth of a fierce wind and blinding hail.

Four minutes later the elements abated and City had half an hour to at least force extra time by virtue of an equalizer.

City’s best opportunity of staying in the Cup fell to Steven Richardson on 65minutes but his shot cleared the crossbar.

Wanting the ball all the time, Spennymoor refused to let City get the merest sniff of their goal, and although Shaun Bell did see a lot of the ball when he came on for Graham Stobbs with some eight minutes remaining, Spennymoor were in no mood to concede.

On 86minutes a Graydon free-kick was cleared for a corner and another set piece at the death was headed wide.

Capper never gave up trying and Andy Bowes was in commanding form at the back, but I doubt if any City player would deem himself man of a match all would prefer to forget.

Durham City – Mohan, Butler, Capper, Smith (C), Bowes, Harrison, Stobbs (Bell 82), Graydon, Richardson, Farrell, Morris

Spennymoor – Dawson, Roulston, Bishop, Ward, Foster, Wilkinson, Scaife, Robinson, Manson, Storr, Richards