Arngrove Northern League
09 February 2008
Calvinissimo 85
by Ken Milgate

Durham City 5
Toft 45
Capper 50
Richardson 55
Johnston 68
Smith (C) 85

Tow Law 2
Mudd 56
Gowland 60

This was no 7-goal thriller, but the game will live long in the memory of those present by virtue of a goal of supreme individual brilliance with shades of Maradona; while Richard Smith marshalled the defence to earn my nomination as City’s man-of-the-match, his namesake, Calvin, unfortunate to be the only player “rested” from the conquerors of Washington, underlined his undoubted potential with a critic-quietening gem of a goal.

Only Richard Smith’s long legs foiled the Lawyers’ opening attack, before City supplied John Toft plenty of ball down the right flank but with no threatening outcomes.

City, however, were lucky to survive on 9minutes when a Darren Hollingsworth chip hit the crossbar with John Mohan looking anxiously over his shoulder; Jack Norton, for his part, dealt confidently with a Toft cross and a Stephen Capper cross as the game limped past the half-hour mark.

The Lawyers continued to hustle City on and off the ball and Mohan did well to leave his line on 35minutes and deny Matthew Gowland with his legs.

City had no-one to compete with Anthony March who was at the heart of all the Lawyers’ midfield endeavour until, on the strike of half-time, Toft took on the visitors’ defence with a solo run and a low left-foot drive which eluded Norton’s outstretched left hand to creep in at the far post.

The second half was but five minutes old when Capper hooked a Keith Graydon free-kick over Norton’s shoulder to give City a more comfortable lead, which was improved a further five minutes later when Steven Richardson lashed home a free ball which fell kindly for him after Adam Johnston had controlled the ball on the edge of the box.

A minute later, however, City went to sleep, allowing Gavin Mudd to jink his way through a static defence to pull a goal back, and it looked game on when Gowland hit a low drive across the face of goal on the hour mark.

The two-goal cushion was restored when Toft sent over a top-drawer cross from the right for Johnston to head home City’s fourth, but in the next minute the Lawyers’ skipper, Mark Eccles, went close to his side’s third with a low left-foot drive that only just cleared the far post.

City upped their game in response with Norton saving well from sub Tommy English, and Andy Bowes going close at the back post.

But the game’s crowning glory came five minutes from time when Calvin Smith gave an exquisite display of ball control as he cut through a raft of defenders in a solo slalom before lashing the ball into the opposite corner.

Just as a single red rose can say as much as a bunch of flowers, so Calvin’s one strike will remembered just as much as Speedy’s 6-goal haul.

Durham City – Mohan, Harrison, Davison (English 61), Dodds, Bowes, Smith (R), Toft (Morris 87), Graydon (Calvin Smith 72), Richardson, Johnston, Capper

Subs not used – Caffry, Farrell

Man-of-the-match – Richard Smith

 
Tow Law – Norton, Hutt (Bell 78), Hollingsworth (Allen 78), Langthorne, Renshaw, Mudd, Gowland, March, Dobell, Dixon (McGuire 52), Eccles

Man-of-the-match – Anthony March