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Arngrove Northern League
26 April 2008
Champions AND record breakers
by Ken Milgate
West Auckland 2
Close 72
Fairhurst pen. 85
Durham City 4
English pen. 30
Richardson 67
Farrell 68
Toft 76
City duly recorded the win in their penultimate game of the season that saw them overtake Bedlington Terriers’ record points tally for a season, but the football served up by both sides was nothing to get excited about.
Andrew Blackburn’s header on 3minutes from a left-wing cross found John Mohan well positioned; a minute later Lewis Dodds worked his way infield from the edge of the box before sending a shot across the face of goal. His piledriver from a deep central position two minutes later cleared the bar.
The game then settled down into a 25-minute tedium of fragmented build-up play up and down the pitch before City took the lead from the penalty spot, Tommy English beating Mark Bell with ease after Michael Heckley had handled an English cross-cum-shot.
Two minutes later Mohan had no trouble blocking a Nigel Bolton stab at the back post before the half-time whistle gave frustrated spectators some respite.
Ten minutes into the second half City managed to keep their lead when Blackburn hit the angle of upright and crossbar.
Come the hour mark, City found an extra gear and Bell palmed clear an English shot before Jimmy Farrell headed over powerfully a Richardson cross.
City maintained the momentum and went 2-up on 67minutes when English lobbed for Richardson to elude the offside trap and poach a second.
A minute later Dodds toiled away to set up English on the left, an unmarked Farrell side-footing the cross past Bell.
Sloppy defending led to sub Gary Close beating Mohan from close range before City made a double substitution, John Toft and Keith Graydon replacing Richardson and Dodds.
Within a minute Toft had increased City’s lead when he chased a Graydon pass outside the box before turning inside and beating Bell inside his left-hand post with a low left-foot rocket.
With five minutes left City conceded another soft goal when Farrell was adjudged to have nudged a mite too energetically, Brian Fairhurst slotting home from the slot.
Ian Dixon played out the last four minutes as a late substitution for my man of the match, Andy Bowes, although Dodds and Stephen Harrison were only a whisker behind.
City will complete their fixtures at Whitley Bay on Tuesday night for what might be the last match report from this increasingly disillusioned fan.
West Auckland – Bell, Fairhurst, Louden, Bolton, Heckley, Richmond, Stewart, Blackburn, Jardine, Freary (Bromley 46), Owens (Close 60)
Man of the match – Brian Fairhurst
Durham City – Mohan, Harrison, Davison, Dodds (Graydon 75), Bowes (Dixon 86), Richard Smith, Morris, Calvin Smith, Richardson (Toft 75), Farrell, English
Subs not used – Capper, Johnston
Man of the match – Andy Bowes
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