8.9.15 - Bishop Auckland (h)

Chris turns
ball collector

If the score had been convincing against Willington the previous Saturday then the performance certainly hadn't been. So there were many of the Bay faithful who turned up with trepidation to this midweek fixture, especially remembering the previous season's game between the two clubs when the visitors left with a comfortable victory. My first season ticket game of 2015-16 certainly looked like it could be a tricky one.
The first surprise when we got in was the welcome return of Chris Wednesday, our
Sheffield supporting friend and it was also great to see the return of Jane the White, Bob and Moira. In fact I was so pleased to see them that I completely missed Shanks' opening goal which allegedly a toe poke. It probably won't be the last goal I miss this season.


There was great admiration being expressed for the Auckland away strip with its swirly pattern on one side when Shanks was brought down: another penalty for the Bay.
2-0 up after ten minutes, the boys were playing with an intensity that had been missing in the previous game. The choice of playing one up front seemed to be paying off this time.

Tommy's Tea-time.....? Eat your heart out Willington AFC!

The debate moved on to the number of visiting players wearing the same yellow boots when an amazing Laws strike was dramatically headed off the line. Was this the same team that started so poorly against Willington?
Things got even better when a slightly tricky tackle came in from Bishop's Hotchkiss.  It looked to be a simple free-kick but suddenly a fracas broke out and he was off. Next a Macdonald pile-driver screamed into the net and a visit to our favourite al fresco diner, Tommy's Tea Hut, beckoned for half time.
It was nice to see that Tommy had joined in with the continental theme and produced his own range of cocktails (a slight stretching of the truth there). Taking our place for the second half a strangely scary man tried to look for someone to argue with about the sending off. Being stupid enough, I accidentally made eye contact with him and that was it: he ranted at me about how Paddy had said the ref / linesman had got it wrong...I agreed with him while all around stared into their non-existent programmes and Bovrils and he soon stomped off to argue with a brick wall and a floodlight.

Soon into the second half, Shanks completed his hat-trick; after great play between Kempster and Norris and it looked like last season had been avenged. About 70 minutes in, Tullock Time, an off-the-cuff comment from Bishops' Glen Lane meant the visitors were down to nine men. However for a while Whitley lost their way and couldn't manage to thread a decent pass into the box.
It was that man again that made the difference as Shanks spanked  a cross-field ball into the box for his fourth of the game. He was on fire and the four young lads singing behind the visiting goal were in fine form! The lads were chatting about the various people that passed their house early in the morning when a Norris cross was turned by a beleaguered Auckland defender and the previous season's drubbing had well and truly been forgotten.

There was time for a final goal when the unknown Whitley Bay philosopher Aristotle Guerin hit the ball and Kempster turned in the rebound....no jokes about seventh heaven but it was a canny night!