Guisborough Town 0 – 1 Newton Aycliffe
In their Promotion winning campaign of last year, Newton Aycliffe became renowned for their brand of attacking football which focused so heavily on the prolific Warren Byrne. After netting more than forty times during the last campaign, more than a few eyebrows were raised when Byrne upped and left for his old side Shildon. Of the new additions that Aycliffe brought in, it was defender Darren Craddock that was the most notable; an experienced and no-nonsense centre half around which the team could build a strong defensive base. In today’s game, Aycliffe carved out just one clear cut chance which was clinically taken. For the rest of the game they defended deep, defended well and did just enough to take the three points. It was easy to see how Aycliffe had restricted the free-scoring West Auckland and Whitley Bay to just a goal each in recent weeks.
For Guisborough, the day was far from perfect. They had a goal disallowed and far more importantly lost not only the game but midfielder Joel Guy to an unpleasant injury. An ambulance was called for Guy as an initially diagnosed broken leg turned out to be ruptured ligaments and a long spell on the sidelines.
An even first half produced few chances. Aycliffe looked dangerous on the flanks and it was their left-sided player Owens who scored the only goal of the game. The energetic Gardner struck a seemingly harmless effort towards goal which was far more accurate than first appeared. The ball squirmed past keeper Jack Norton and struck the inside of the post. The onrushing Owens was left with a lot to do but made it all look easy as he clipped the ball perfectly into the bottom corner from an acute angle.
Guisborough began the second half reinvigorated and for the first fifteen minutes of the second period, Aycliffe struggled to get out of their own half. As Guisborough pushed for an equaliser, Johnson surged from a deep position and found himself with just the keeper to beat from close to range. With several in the crowd putting their house on him scoring, Johnson screwed the ball high and wide from close range. This chance almost marked a watershed in the game and Aycliffe began to exert more pressure and looked dangerous on the break. Tom Portas – far from a stranger to the home fans after three years of success in a Guisborough shirt – became more involved and his surging runs both forward and across the pitch posed an increased threat. Despite this, there was the feeling that if Guisborough scored they could go on to win the game. The goal duly came as the ball was swung in from the right and was forced home from close range. The home players and supporters celebrated, but the joy was short lived as the dreaded sight of a raised lineman’s flag saw the goal chalked off for offside.
Prior to this game, Aycliffe had never beaten Guisborough before in the Northern league. They had been left to kick themselves twice last season as Guisborough rescued points from seemingly impossible situations. Today there was perhaps less flair about Aycliffe’s performance, but certainly more steel. They were organised, committed and stuck firmly to their game plan in the second half. Without a doubt, they are club on the up. They have a healthy travelling contingent, are well run and clearly aspire to greater things.
Games between these two sides are always close and Aycliffe will have been both pleased and relieved to have taken all three points back along the A66 to County Durham.
The First Division offers no let up; we entertain reigning League Champions Spennymoor on Wednesday. But in case you didn’t notice, England beat Spain today. Over ninety minutes, anything can happen. Which I suppose is why we all come back week after week. Hope springs eternal…
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Ferguson endures in an age of change
There is a picture of Sir Alex Ferguson in his first day in the Old Trafford hotseat, with a ball under one arm and his other arm around the shoulders of his then assistant Archie Knox. So much in the world has changed. Margaret Thatcher was at the helm of British politics, Ronald Reagan was mid-way through his eight years of US presidency and Liverpool had dominated the top flight of British football for more than a decade. This was pre-Hillsborough, pre-Premiership and for those brought up on a diet of continuous live football, seemingly pre-historic. The one enduring feature of the photograph is Ferguson’s grin. Who can blame him after lifting twenty seven trophies in twenty five years?
Of course, it was not always destined to be this way. If rumours are to be believed, Ferguson was a hare’s breadth away from the chop in his early tenure when Manchester United supporters were hungry for success after an extended famine at the hands of their Merseyside rivals. If you discount Arsene Wenger from the equation, it would be interesting to establish whether the rest of the top division’s managers have this length of service at their current clubs between them. Answers on a postcard…
In a media driven society where information is at our finger tips and instant gratification is expected, managers have barely got their feet under a table before the furniture is rearranged and a new man is at the helm. Surely it takes time for a manager to cultivate his own style and to embed his vision throughout a football club? A ready meal might take minutes to prepare – ping, there we go, out it pops from its plastic tray and hey presto, dinner is served. But the end result is usually less satisfying. Keeping in line with the Food Industry analogy, as Guinness would tell you – good things come to those who wait.
How does this apply to non-league football? Perhaps fans even at this level need to be more patient and not expect instant success. There are times when a manager’s time is clearly up. But how often do we move one man on to find that the club is in no better shape a year on? Ferguson has enjoyed 1409 games thus far as Old Trafford supremo – significantly more than my own side Guisborough have even played in the Northern League since their admission in the mid-eighties. How many of the current Northern League managers have been in post for less than two years? New blood and fresh ideas are obviously welcome, but so often the same managers are merely recycled on the football merry go round.
Perhaps I’m just being naïve. Football and sport generally are perhaps just a reflection of modern life. According to government estimates, young people just finishing their education will have done 10-14 different jobs by the time they reach the age of 38 and a week’s worth of New York Times newspapers contains more information than a person was likely to come across in their whole lifetime in the 18th Century. To borrow a phrase – shift happens.
Yet there is Fergie; enduring, entrenched and excelling just as much as ever. Love him or loathe him, there may never be another like him. Next stop, 1500 games.
Of course, it was not always destined to be this way. If rumours are to be believed, Ferguson was a hare’s breadth away from the chop in his early tenure when Manchester United supporters were hungry for success after an extended famine at the hands of their Merseyside rivals. If you discount Arsene Wenger from the equation, it would be interesting to establish whether the rest of the top division’s managers have this length of service at their current clubs between them. Answers on a postcard…
In a media driven society where information is at our finger tips and instant gratification is expected, managers have barely got their feet under a table before the furniture is rearranged and a new man is at the helm. Surely it takes time for a manager to cultivate his own style and to embed his vision throughout a football club? A ready meal might take minutes to prepare – ping, there we go, out it pops from its plastic tray and hey presto, dinner is served. But the end result is usually less satisfying. Keeping in line with the Food Industry analogy, as Guinness would tell you – good things come to those who wait.
How does this apply to non-league football? Perhaps fans even at this level need to be more patient and not expect instant success. There are times when a manager’s time is clearly up. But how often do we move one man on to find that the club is in no better shape a year on? Ferguson has enjoyed 1409 games thus far as Old Trafford supremo – significantly more than my own side Guisborough have even played in the Northern League since their admission in the mid-eighties. How many of the current Northern League managers have been in post for less than two years? New blood and fresh ideas are obviously welcome, but so often the same managers are merely recycled on the football merry go round.
Perhaps I’m just being naïve. Football and sport generally are perhaps just a reflection of modern life. According to government estimates, young people just finishing their education will have done 10-14 different jobs by the time they reach the age of 38 and a week’s worth of New York Times newspapers contains more information than a person was likely to come across in their whole lifetime in the 18th Century. To borrow a phrase – shift happens.
Yet there is Fergie; enduring, entrenched and excelling just as much as ever. Love him or loathe him, there may never be another like him. Next stop, 1500 games.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Town leave Terriers with plenty to chew on
Guisborough Town 1 Bedlington Terriers 1
As the old saying goes, if we played like that every week we wouldn’t be so inconsistent. Faced with the tough task of securing points from a clash with Bedlington Terriers, Guisborough deserved their point against a side with good credentials and the ever present threat of Shandran and Richardson in attack.
Mention the name Bedlington to anyone and there is a strong chance that they will associate the place with the famed Bedlington Terrier, a dog with a woollen coat which strongly resembles a sheep. The dog features on the club crest, but for the first forty five minutes the Terriers were seriously lacking bite. Guisborough controlled possession, with the evergreen Willie Boland revelling in his role playing in front of the back four. He took every opportunity to spread the play and with Bedlington playing very narrow and with a lack of width, Guisborough’s forays down the flanks looked most likely to break the deadlock. Despite the home side’s superior first-half possession, chances were few and far between and with the game deadlocked at half-time, Bedlington were given the opportunity to regroup and reassess their tactics.
Rather than introduce more width, the visitors evidently sensed that their biggest threat was the Little and Large combination of Richardson and Shandran, with the former player’s pace complementing Shandran’s physicality, good close control and ability to shield the ball. They played the ball long to Shandran, who looked menacing with his aerial presence and ability to turn the defence. Having looked fairly comfortable – if at times slightly stretched – an aberration in the home defence allowed Richardson to give the visitors the lead. As Town were forced to push forward in search of an equaliser, more gaps appeared and Richardson’s pace took him through on goal. A poor first touch saw the forward overrun the ball. He then went to ground, claiming a penalty. Optimists may say that he merely lost his balance; others suggested that Richardson was disingenuous in his claims. A similar incident ten minutes later towards the home side’s own corner flag did nothing to appease those home fans that felt that the forward went to ground too easily. Shortly afterwards, Shandran twisted and turned on the edge of the box before curling a left footed shot which struck the base of the post and bounced straight back into keeper Norton’s arms. It was a moment of sublime skill and indicative of why Shandran already has thirteen goals to his name this season.
Having weathered this storm, the home side gradually began to assert themselves. With the added pace of Decosomo and Roberts introduced, Bedlington began to look stretched. Boland dinked the ball into Shane Henry’s path and as he surged past two players, Henry shot on the run into the bottom corner to round off an excellent team move. By now, both teams looked stretched and Guisborough were forced to reshuffle when Casey was withdrawn from action with what looked like a pulled groin muscle. I’Anson went close and on several occasions, the ball was flashed across the box without anyone getting on the end of it. Yet the visitors could have left with all three points, but for a stunning one handed save from Jack Norton as he flung himself to his right and prevented a certain goal.
Guisborough have now only lost three times in the last eleven games and this was an assured performance against a strong side. Bedlington have some fine players and their two previous games had yielded strong victories against League leaders Sunderland RCA and one of last season’s front runners, Newcastle Benfield. Last season, Shandran and Richardson (then of Spennymoor) bagged 38 league goals between them. To keep them relatively quiet was significant and the defence looked settled with the return of Lee Bythway, partnering Mark Casey in defence. Shane Henry is coming into form and looking increasingly comfortable with the added pace and vigour of the First Division. Every game in the first division is tough; but we have games in hand and a couple of wins will lift us towards the middle of the table.
The Bedlington supporters were pleasant; in good voice and in good numbers. They even won the raffle prize, despite their consternation at having to take a share of the points. I will look forward to our visit to Northumberland later in the season. Between now and then there are twenty games; a lot of water is to pass under the bridge – be it the Tees or the Wansbeck. How the teams will line up in the league table by that point will be very interesting.
As the old saying goes, if we played like that every week we wouldn’t be so inconsistent. Faced with the tough task of securing points from a clash with Bedlington Terriers, Guisborough deserved their point against a side with good credentials and the ever present threat of Shandran and Richardson in attack.
Mention the name Bedlington to anyone and there is a strong chance that they will associate the place with the famed Bedlington Terrier, a dog with a woollen coat which strongly resembles a sheep. The dog features on the club crest, but for the first forty five minutes the Terriers were seriously lacking bite. Guisborough controlled possession, with the evergreen Willie Boland revelling in his role playing in front of the back four. He took every opportunity to spread the play and with Bedlington playing very narrow and with a lack of width, Guisborough’s forays down the flanks looked most likely to break the deadlock. Despite the home side’s superior first-half possession, chances were few and far between and with the game deadlocked at half-time, Bedlington were given the opportunity to regroup and reassess their tactics.
Rather than introduce more width, the visitors evidently sensed that their biggest threat was the Little and Large combination of Richardson and Shandran, with the former player’s pace complementing Shandran’s physicality, good close control and ability to shield the ball. They played the ball long to Shandran, who looked menacing with his aerial presence and ability to turn the defence. Having looked fairly comfortable – if at times slightly stretched – an aberration in the home defence allowed Richardson to give the visitors the lead. As Town were forced to push forward in search of an equaliser, more gaps appeared and Richardson’s pace took him through on goal. A poor first touch saw the forward overrun the ball. He then went to ground, claiming a penalty. Optimists may say that he merely lost his balance; others suggested that Richardson was disingenuous in his claims. A similar incident ten minutes later towards the home side’s own corner flag did nothing to appease those home fans that felt that the forward went to ground too easily. Shortly afterwards, Shandran twisted and turned on the edge of the box before curling a left footed shot which struck the base of the post and bounced straight back into keeper Norton’s arms. It was a moment of sublime skill and indicative of why Shandran already has thirteen goals to his name this season.
Having weathered this storm, the home side gradually began to assert themselves. With the added pace of Decosomo and Roberts introduced, Bedlington began to look stretched. Boland dinked the ball into Shane Henry’s path and as he surged past two players, Henry shot on the run into the bottom corner to round off an excellent team move. By now, both teams looked stretched and Guisborough were forced to reshuffle when Casey was withdrawn from action with what looked like a pulled groin muscle. I’Anson went close and on several occasions, the ball was flashed across the box without anyone getting on the end of it. Yet the visitors could have left with all three points, but for a stunning one handed save from Jack Norton as he flung himself to his right and prevented a certain goal.
Guisborough have now only lost three times in the last eleven games and this was an assured performance against a strong side. Bedlington have some fine players and their two previous games had yielded strong victories against League leaders Sunderland RCA and one of last season’s front runners, Newcastle Benfield. Last season, Shandran and Richardson (then of Spennymoor) bagged 38 league goals between them. To keep them relatively quiet was significant and the defence looked settled with the return of Lee Bythway, partnering Mark Casey in defence. Shane Henry is coming into form and looking increasingly comfortable with the added pace and vigour of the First Division. Every game in the first division is tough; but we have games in hand and a couple of wins will lift us towards the middle of the table.
The Bedlington supporters were pleasant; in good voice and in good numbers. They even won the raffle prize, despite their consternation at having to take a share of the points. I will look forward to our visit to Northumberland later in the season. Between now and then there are twenty games; a lot of water is to pass under the bridge – be it the Tees or the Wansbeck. How the teams will line up in the league table by that point will be very interesting.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Town must tune in again as Consett force a replay
FA Vase 1st Round Proper
Guisborough Town 4 - 4 Consett (AET)
Guisborough Town 4 – 4 Consett
Cup games are meant to provide goals, near misses, controversy and crowd involvement. This game ticked each of the above boxes and after 120 minutes of pulsating, end to end action, both teams were left to reflect on what might of being, before turning their attentions to a much anticipated midweek rematch.
Guisborough entered the game on the back of a 4-0 home reverse against Whitley Bay in midweek. This was no disgrace; Bay were sharp, incisive and supremely organised and at times they cut through our defence like a hot knife through butter. Despite that, Guisborough’s second half showing was promising. Chances were carved out and on another day the deficit may have been smaller. It was clear to see why Whitley Bay have won the FA Vase three years in a row. The basics are done so effectively and professionally and there was no obvious weakness anywhere on the pitch. When they could find the space, Bay looked to play the ball from the back, but were equally adept at playing the percentages when there was any risk of being dispossessed.
Consett are a good side, but for a number of reasons – not least some injuries to key players – their form going into this game was at best patchy, with just three wins in their last eleven games. It was Guisborough who started the brightest and with a strong wind in their favour, Town did the early pressing. Yet the first goal belonged to the visitors. The home defence dallied too long in possession and the mistake was punished clinically as Michael Mackay skipped past the home defence and the advancing Jack Norton before finishing smartly from an acute angle. In a pattern that was to be played out throughout the rest of the game, Consett’s lead was short-lived. Within just minutes of the restart, Onions clipped a perfect ball through for Shane Henry to slide past the visiting keeper. The game then settled into a pattern, with Guisborough good in possession and Consett looking threatening going forward. With half-time approaching, Consett broke clear down the left and a rasping twenty yard effort thundered into the underside of the crossbar and bounced down on the line. In the absence of a Russian linesman, the goal was not given but Guisborough were slow to react and Marc Walton restored Consett’s lead. Consett manager Kenny Lindoe was perhaps mentally preparing himself for a team talk which centred around preserving their lead in the second half and springing at Guisborough on the break. This all went out of the window when more loose marking allowed the persistent I’Anson to break clear and level the tie on the stroke of half-time.
I am usually extremely reticent to be openly critical about referees. It is a tough job and officials, like players, are bound to make mistakes. However, the referee ‘s performance and manner today put him centre stage. This was a keenly fought contest but there was barely a poor tackle. Despite this, six home players received cautions and both sets of supporters were left baffled at some of the decisions. That said, football is a game of angles. In the first period, Guisborough had a goal chalked off for a handball leading up to Joel Guy’s finish past the visiting keeper. From where I was stood, it looked quite feasible that the ball had struck his arm as he challenged the home goalkeeper. Yet a discussion with neutrals on the other side of the pitch provided an entirely different perspective. “He headed the ball” they said. “His arms were up but the ball never touched them” his friend added. Through a different set of eyes and from an alternative vantage point, the same event took on a totally different perspective. You can see a referee’s dilemma.
Both sides had chances to score in the second period before Michael MacKay restored Consett’s lead in the seventy-seventh minute. Aside from the goal, he was the visitors’ stand-out-player. His speed of movement, darting runs and general awareness posed regular problems. MacKay looked to have won it as he stroked his sixteenth goal of the season past Jack Norton. He took the goal with nonchalant ease.
At this point, Chris Hardy opted to take both Onions and I’Anson off and played McPhillips and Roberts up front. What the two players lack in inches they made up for in pace and against a tiring Consett defence, McPhllips found just enough space on the edge of the box late on and he turned and swivelled to place the ball into the corner and send the game into extra time.
McPhillips was proving to be difficult to live with; he burst clear of the visiting defence again in the first period of extra time to give Guisborough the lead for the first time in the match and had he managed to strike his shot to either side of the goalkeeper just moments later, the game would have been sewn up and McPhillips would have completed a twenty minute hat-trick.
There was an aching sense of inevitability about Consett’s equaliser. In fairness, despite Guisborough’s late surge, Consett merited a replay. Having led three times, Consett may have left thinking about what might have been. Equally, having carved out numerous late chances, it could have been Guisborough picking up a cheque for £900 and looking forward to next week’s draw. After eight goals in one hundred and twenty minutes, the crowd were royally entertained, even if Alan Hansen would not have eulogised about some of the defending on show. Wednesday will determine the fate of the two sides in a replay at Belle Vue Park. You can bet there will be goals and on this showing, quite possibly a lot of them.
Guisborough Town 4 - 4 Consett (AET)
Guisborough Town 4 – 4 Consett
Cup games are meant to provide goals, near misses, controversy and crowd involvement. This game ticked each of the above boxes and after 120 minutes of pulsating, end to end action, both teams were left to reflect on what might of being, before turning their attentions to a much anticipated midweek rematch.
Guisborough entered the game on the back of a 4-0 home reverse against Whitley Bay in midweek. This was no disgrace; Bay were sharp, incisive and supremely organised and at times they cut through our defence like a hot knife through butter. Despite that, Guisborough’s second half showing was promising. Chances were carved out and on another day the deficit may have been smaller. It was clear to see why Whitley Bay have won the FA Vase three years in a row. The basics are done so effectively and professionally and there was no obvious weakness anywhere on the pitch. When they could find the space, Bay looked to play the ball from the back, but were equally adept at playing the percentages when there was any risk of being dispossessed.
Consett are a good side, but for a number of reasons – not least some injuries to key players – their form going into this game was at best patchy, with just three wins in their last eleven games. It was Guisborough who started the brightest and with a strong wind in their favour, Town did the early pressing. Yet the first goal belonged to the visitors. The home defence dallied too long in possession and the mistake was punished clinically as Michael Mackay skipped past the home defence and the advancing Jack Norton before finishing smartly from an acute angle. In a pattern that was to be played out throughout the rest of the game, Consett’s lead was short-lived. Within just minutes of the restart, Onions clipped a perfect ball through for Shane Henry to slide past the visiting keeper. The game then settled into a pattern, with Guisborough good in possession and Consett looking threatening going forward. With half-time approaching, Consett broke clear down the left and a rasping twenty yard effort thundered into the underside of the crossbar and bounced down on the line. In the absence of a Russian linesman, the goal was not given but Guisborough were slow to react and Marc Walton restored Consett’s lead. Consett manager Kenny Lindoe was perhaps mentally preparing himself for a team talk which centred around preserving their lead in the second half and springing at Guisborough on the break. This all went out of the window when more loose marking allowed the persistent I’Anson to break clear and level the tie on the stroke of half-time.
I am usually extremely reticent to be openly critical about referees. It is a tough job and officials, like players, are bound to make mistakes. However, the referee ‘s performance and manner today put him centre stage. This was a keenly fought contest but there was barely a poor tackle. Despite this, six home players received cautions and both sets of supporters were left baffled at some of the decisions. That said, football is a game of angles. In the first period, Guisborough had a goal chalked off for a handball leading up to Joel Guy’s finish past the visiting keeper. From where I was stood, it looked quite feasible that the ball had struck his arm as he challenged the home goalkeeper. Yet a discussion with neutrals on the other side of the pitch provided an entirely different perspective. “He headed the ball” they said. “His arms were up but the ball never touched them” his friend added. Through a different set of eyes and from an alternative vantage point, the same event took on a totally different perspective. You can see a referee’s dilemma.
Both sides had chances to score in the second period before Michael MacKay restored Consett’s lead in the seventy-seventh minute. Aside from the goal, he was the visitors’ stand-out-player. His speed of movement, darting runs and general awareness posed regular problems. MacKay looked to have won it as he stroked his sixteenth goal of the season past Jack Norton. He took the goal with nonchalant ease.
At this point, Chris Hardy opted to take both Onions and I’Anson off and played McPhillips and Roberts up front. What the two players lack in inches they made up for in pace and against a tiring Consett defence, McPhllips found just enough space on the edge of the box late on and he turned and swivelled to place the ball into the corner and send the game into extra time.
McPhillips was proving to be difficult to live with; he burst clear of the visiting defence again in the first period of extra time to give Guisborough the lead for the first time in the match and had he managed to strike his shot to either side of the goalkeeper just moments later, the game would have been sewn up and McPhillips would have completed a twenty minute hat-trick.
There was an aching sense of inevitability about Consett’s equaliser. In fairness, despite Guisborough’s late surge, Consett merited a replay. Having led three times, Consett may have left thinking about what might have been. Equally, having carved out numerous late chances, it could have been Guisborough picking up a cheque for £900 and looking forward to next week’s draw. After eight goals in one hundred and twenty minutes, the crowd were royally entertained, even if Alan Hansen would not have eulogised about some of the defending on show. Wednesday will determine the fate of the two sides in a replay at Belle Vue Park. You can bet there will be goals and on this showing, quite possibly a lot of them.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Chances sealed as Shields' defence is punctured
South Shields are comparative giants in Northern League football; not necessarily for their exploits on the pitch, as they were positioned only marginally higher than ourselves in the League table prior to today’s game – but because of the size of the population. At around 85,000, South Shields is more populated than Macclesfield, Shrewsbury and even Burnley who were Premier League inhabitants only a couple of years back. Perhaps the moral is that South Shields is a club with potential; slumbering giants of the Tyne and a side that played league football in the early years of the last century. By Northern League standards, South Shields are well supported with crowds just shy of two hundred. They brought a healthy away contingent to the game today on a crisp, clear October afternoon where the calm atmospheric situation made for perfect playing conditions.
In terms of star quality, two names sprung out from the South Shields team sheet as I cast my eyes over it before the game – Davey Southern and Alex Benjamin. At one point, perhaps seven or eight years ago, I remember Southern as the scourge of our visits to Dunston, where he then plied his trade. He was quick, incisive and had great awareness. Southern was one of the leading lights in the Dunston side which dominated the early parts of this decade. Alex Benjamin is renowned for his Northern League goalscoring feats and it was a surprise to me that he left Bedlington in the close season. With these two players as the fulcrum of their side, there was no doubting that the visitors could be very dangerous.
Several years on, Southern’s role at South Shields appears an altogether different one. Rather than haring down the wing, he now plays in a less advanced role. He was nevertheless central to everything that Shields did; he would lay the ball off, switch play, float the ball into gaps and invariably take every free-kick and dead ball, more often than not very effectively. Benjamin is a strong, direct and traditional centre forward and one of the first contributions he made was to stroke the ball with precision into the bottom corner from the penalty spot as South Shields took an early lead. The chief architect in winning the penalty was the fresh-faced Yanis Galas, whose pace was a constant threat.
Despite this early set-back, Guisborough soon settled into a clear pattern of play. The evergreen Willie Boland would pick the ball up from goalkeeper or centre half, draw a challenge and play the ball into a forward or fellow-midfielder’s feet. More often than not, it was to the feet of Luke Bythway who was at his effervescent best. Bythway created panic as he ran at defenders and whilst Shields looked dangerous as they sprung forward at pace, they looked equally as likely to be undone by speed and running themselves. An equaliser soon followed. Bythway swung in a perfect free-kick from the left and Austin Johnson applied a deft headed flick into the roof of the net. The delivery of the free-kick was nigh on perfect; it was almost impossible for the centre half to get in front of and left the hapless (and totally blameless) visiting keeper stranded and exposed to any diversion from either attacker or defender.
Momentum is everything in sport. Capitalising on this momentum is crucial. Before long Guisborough had taken the lead. Brimming with confidence after his hand in the first goal, Bythway embarked on a mazy dribble towards the visiting goal. As defenders backed off, Bythway kept going and as still no real challenge was made as he entered the area, he wrong-footed the keeper to complete a great piece of individual skill. Guisborough soon had a two goal cushion courtesy of an own goal and having fallen behind early on, could not have wished for a better half time scoreline.
Credit here has to go to South Shields; they came out for the second half rejuvenated and for the first ten minutes of the second period they virtually camped in Guisborough’s half. They had more corners than the Pentagon and such was the intensity of pressure, it felt a matter of time before they pulled a goal back. Had they scored, South Shields would very much have had the momentum and may have gone on to secure at least a point from the game. But on several occasions, the ball was scrambled away and shots went narrowly wide. The real turning point was when Goalkeeper Norton somehow spooned the ball over the bar as he flung himself down low, akin to Gordon Banks’ 1970 World Cup save from Pele. At every set-piece Shields looked dangerous and Southern’s free-kicks - floated across on some occasions as though he had used a nine-iron and whipped across at pace at other times – caused serious problems. Yet the home defence stood firm and gradually the early second-half thrust and energy of the visitors petered out. Guisborough’s Onions had the chance to seal it as his relentless running put him through, but his tired effort fell wide.
This was a fiercely competed and enjoyable encounter between two well-matched sides. It’s amazing what a difference a week makes – in the space of two games, we have doubled our points tally with back to back wins. With games in hand, the picture looks brighter. We now have the small task of taking on Whitley Bay on Wednesday night as they travel just a few miles more than Shields from the other side of the Tyne. The talk is that Whitley Bay’s derelict amusement park – The Spanish City – is all set for renovation. Like the infamous Spanish City attractions, Wednesday evening will no doubt throw up lots more twists, turns, thrills and spills.
In terms of star quality, two names sprung out from the South Shields team sheet as I cast my eyes over it before the game – Davey Southern and Alex Benjamin. At one point, perhaps seven or eight years ago, I remember Southern as the scourge of our visits to Dunston, where he then plied his trade. He was quick, incisive and had great awareness. Southern was one of the leading lights in the Dunston side which dominated the early parts of this decade. Alex Benjamin is renowned for his Northern League goalscoring feats and it was a surprise to me that he left Bedlington in the close season. With these two players as the fulcrum of their side, there was no doubting that the visitors could be very dangerous.
Several years on, Southern’s role at South Shields appears an altogether different one. Rather than haring down the wing, he now plays in a less advanced role. He was nevertheless central to everything that Shields did; he would lay the ball off, switch play, float the ball into gaps and invariably take every free-kick and dead ball, more often than not very effectively. Benjamin is a strong, direct and traditional centre forward and one of the first contributions he made was to stroke the ball with precision into the bottom corner from the penalty spot as South Shields took an early lead. The chief architect in winning the penalty was the fresh-faced Yanis Galas, whose pace was a constant threat.
Despite this early set-back, Guisborough soon settled into a clear pattern of play. The evergreen Willie Boland would pick the ball up from goalkeeper or centre half, draw a challenge and play the ball into a forward or fellow-midfielder’s feet. More often than not, it was to the feet of Luke Bythway who was at his effervescent best. Bythway created panic as he ran at defenders and whilst Shields looked dangerous as they sprung forward at pace, they looked equally as likely to be undone by speed and running themselves. An equaliser soon followed. Bythway swung in a perfect free-kick from the left and Austin Johnson applied a deft headed flick into the roof of the net. The delivery of the free-kick was nigh on perfect; it was almost impossible for the centre half to get in front of and left the hapless (and totally blameless) visiting keeper stranded and exposed to any diversion from either attacker or defender.
Momentum is everything in sport. Capitalising on this momentum is crucial. Before long Guisborough had taken the lead. Brimming with confidence after his hand in the first goal, Bythway embarked on a mazy dribble towards the visiting goal. As defenders backed off, Bythway kept going and as still no real challenge was made as he entered the area, he wrong-footed the keeper to complete a great piece of individual skill. Guisborough soon had a two goal cushion courtesy of an own goal and having fallen behind early on, could not have wished for a better half time scoreline.
Credit here has to go to South Shields; they came out for the second half rejuvenated and for the first ten minutes of the second period they virtually camped in Guisborough’s half. They had more corners than the Pentagon and such was the intensity of pressure, it felt a matter of time before they pulled a goal back. Had they scored, South Shields would very much have had the momentum and may have gone on to secure at least a point from the game. But on several occasions, the ball was scrambled away and shots went narrowly wide. The real turning point was when Goalkeeper Norton somehow spooned the ball over the bar as he flung himself down low, akin to Gordon Banks’ 1970 World Cup save from Pele. At every set-piece Shields looked dangerous and Southern’s free-kicks - floated across on some occasions as though he had used a nine-iron and whipped across at pace at other times – caused serious problems. Yet the home defence stood firm and gradually the early second-half thrust and energy of the visitors petered out. Guisborough’s Onions had the chance to seal it as his relentless running put him through, but his tired effort fell wide.
This was a fiercely competed and enjoyable encounter between two well-matched sides. It’s amazing what a difference a week makes – in the space of two games, we have doubled our points tally with back to back wins. With games in hand, the picture looks brighter. We now have the small task of taking on Whitley Bay on Wednesday night as they travel just a few miles more than Shields from the other side of the Tyne. The talk is that Whitley Bay’s derelict amusement park – The Spanish City – is all set for renovation. Like the infamous Spanish City attractions, Wednesday evening will no doubt throw up lots more twists, turns, thrills and spills.
Monday, September 26, 2011
More reviews of the book...
Fly me to the moon, Middlesbrough's highly acclaimed fanzine describes the book as "delightful", "thoroughly enjoyable" and praises the writen style, noting its "large smattering of wit"
http://www.fansonline.net/middlesbrough/article.php?id=2564
The most recent Northern Ventures magazine (135) also describes the book in similar terms - "beautifully crafted" and "nakedly passionate".
http://www.fansonline.net/middlesbrough/article.php?id=2564
The most recent Northern Ventures magazine (135) also describes the book in similar terms - "beautifully crafted" and "nakedly passionate".
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Pipping Penrith...
Saturday 24th September
FA Vase
Penrith Town 0 – 1 Guisborough Town
With green rolling hills framing the ground and the sight of a Buzzard soaring across the picturesque landscape, Penrith’s World Group Stadium is a genuine pleasure to behold. We were warmly welcomed by both the hospitable home officials and the sun which coated the ground in an amber, early Autumn glow. It would be fair to say that Guisborough supporters were made to feel at home and a quirk of the fixtures meant that this was our second visit to the ground in the space of four days. Having won a tight League Cup encounter 4-3 in extra time on the Tuesday, Penrith’s team talk would have been an easy one and the opportunity for revenge in this FA Vase clash was presented to them in super quick time. Yet it was Guisborough who were the fastest out of the blocks and only last-gasp defending and profligate finishing prevented early goals for the visitors.
At all levels of the game, pace frightens defenders and can force errors of both body and mind. Guisborough’s Michael Roberts – who looked as though he would not play this season until the New Year after a badly broken collarbone – demonstrated just what we have missed in the early weeks of the season as he pressured and harried the home defence. It was Roberts’ trickery as he cut inside from the right which opened up and stretched Penrith’s back four. As they moved out to close him down, Roberts played in Shane Henry on the left and his well struck effort nestled in the corner, despite a good effort from the home keeper. With his marker now unaware of just which way he would twist and turn next, Roberts posed further problems and delivered a series of threatening balls into the box.
All football supporters are biased to some degree and I would not exclude myself from these descriptions. Some supporters are totally blinkered and can only see their own strengths and failings and never recognise the good things their opposition have done. With the half-time score at 1-0, several home fans complained at their side’s poor showing. “We’re making them look good” said one elderly spectator as I passed him. “We’re not even doing a good job of that” said his companion. Amused at this exchange, it made me reflect on the previous week’s game against Billingham Synthonia when we had been two goals down at the interval and all of the talk in the clubhouse had revolved around our own mistakes and never the clinical nature of Synthonia’s forward play or finishing.
As last week’s rousing comeback against Synners demonstrated, half-time offers a chance to regroup when you are losing and to refocus any remaining energy. Penrith certainly did this and within ten minutes of the second half they had carved out more chances than in the whole of the first period. Visiting keeper Jack Norton saved well low-down to his left and as the half wore on, Guisborough’s defence and midfield found themselves sucked backwards like the receding tides under the influence of the moon’s gravitational pull. Clearances were finding Penrith players and the ball for long stages was like a proverbial hot potato as nobody could hold onto it for any period of time.
Penrith enjoyed a spell of pressure and had they scored, may well have had the momentum to go on and win the game. Credit must go to the visiting defence who drew the sting from the home attack and the midfield harrying of Johnson, Henry and Luke Bythway forced Penrith into longer balls into the box which either ran into touch or were well dealt with. It increasingly felt as though Penrith’s spell of pressure had come to nothing and the ever-willing Onions, Roberts and Decosemo looked as likely to sneak a second goal on the break as Penrith committed more men forward in search of a goal that would take the two teams into another extra-time period.
This was far from a classic game, but was it was a classic example of how to defend a lead in the cup away from home having scored relatively early on. The margins between the two teams was small, but I reckon that we just about deserved it. But as I said, I am biased…
Of the two cup games, had I been offered one win and asked which one to choose, naturally the FA Vase tie took on greater significance. To win not once but twice was a tremendous effort and sets up a home tie against Consett in a few weeks. For Penrith, to lose twice to the same team in a matter of days is a kick in the teeth. But they need not fret; they have two more opportunities to gain revenge against us in the league. Having thoroughly enjoyed this visit to Penrith’s sleek and professional set up on the edge of the town, I’d be more than happy to return again later in the year.
Like the A66 journey back to Teesside, there is a long road to travel within the competition. Consett, as they themselves have demonstrated already at the King George V ground, will prove to be a stiff challenge.
FA Vase
Penrith Town 0 – 1 Guisborough Town
With green rolling hills framing the ground and the sight of a Buzzard soaring across the picturesque landscape, Penrith’s World Group Stadium is a genuine pleasure to behold. We were warmly welcomed by both the hospitable home officials and the sun which coated the ground in an amber, early Autumn glow. It would be fair to say that Guisborough supporters were made to feel at home and a quirk of the fixtures meant that this was our second visit to the ground in the space of four days. Having won a tight League Cup encounter 4-3 in extra time on the Tuesday, Penrith’s team talk would have been an easy one and the opportunity for revenge in this FA Vase clash was presented to them in super quick time. Yet it was Guisborough who were the fastest out of the blocks and only last-gasp defending and profligate finishing prevented early goals for the visitors.
At all levels of the game, pace frightens defenders and can force errors of both body and mind. Guisborough’s Michael Roberts – who looked as though he would not play this season until the New Year after a badly broken collarbone – demonstrated just what we have missed in the early weeks of the season as he pressured and harried the home defence. It was Roberts’ trickery as he cut inside from the right which opened up and stretched Penrith’s back four. As they moved out to close him down, Roberts played in Shane Henry on the left and his well struck effort nestled in the corner, despite a good effort from the home keeper. With his marker now unaware of just which way he would twist and turn next, Roberts posed further problems and delivered a series of threatening balls into the box.
All football supporters are biased to some degree and I would not exclude myself from these descriptions. Some supporters are totally blinkered and can only see their own strengths and failings and never recognise the good things their opposition have done. With the half-time score at 1-0, several home fans complained at their side’s poor showing. “We’re making them look good” said one elderly spectator as I passed him. “We’re not even doing a good job of that” said his companion. Amused at this exchange, it made me reflect on the previous week’s game against Billingham Synthonia when we had been two goals down at the interval and all of the talk in the clubhouse had revolved around our own mistakes and never the clinical nature of Synthonia’s forward play or finishing.
As last week’s rousing comeback against Synners demonstrated, half-time offers a chance to regroup when you are losing and to refocus any remaining energy. Penrith certainly did this and within ten minutes of the second half they had carved out more chances than in the whole of the first period. Visiting keeper Jack Norton saved well low-down to his left and as the half wore on, Guisborough’s defence and midfield found themselves sucked backwards like the receding tides under the influence of the moon’s gravitational pull. Clearances were finding Penrith players and the ball for long stages was like a proverbial hot potato as nobody could hold onto it for any period of time.
Penrith enjoyed a spell of pressure and had they scored, may well have had the momentum to go on and win the game. Credit must go to the visiting defence who drew the sting from the home attack and the midfield harrying of Johnson, Henry and Luke Bythway forced Penrith into longer balls into the box which either ran into touch or were well dealt with. It increasingly felt as though Penrith’s spell of pressure had come to nothing and the ever-willing Onions, Roberts and Decosemo looked as likely to sneak a second goal on the break as Penrith committed more men forward in search of a goal that would take the two teams into another extra-time period.
This was far from a classic game, but was it was a classic example of how to defend a lead in the cup away from home having scored relatively early on. The margins between the two teams was small, but I reckon that we just about deserved it. But as I said, I am biased…
Of the two cup games, had I been offered one win and asked which one to choose, naturally the FA Vase tie took on greater significance. To win not once but twice was a tremendous effort and sets up a home tie against Consett in a few weeks. For Penrith, to lose twice to the same team in a matter of days is a kick in the teeth. But they need not fret; they have two more opportunities to gain revenge against us in the league. Having thoroughly enjoyed this visit to Penrith’s sleek and professional set up on the edge of the town, I’d be more than happy to return again later in the year.
Like the A66 journey back to Teesside, there is a long road to travel within the competition. Consett, as they themselves have demonstrated already at the King George V ground, will prove to be a stiff challenge.
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