13th August 2019 - Bishop Auckland (h)

So this isn't a good idea!
Who knew?

A cracking day was spent with the eldest daughter and Mrs Blogger at The York Maze. Dinosaurs hidden all over a Maize field under the warmth of a glorious summer sun...what more could you ask for?
The answer was: no traffic problems, as I drove Mrs Blogger home in the Blogmobile! That's not what we got. The satnav kept adding all sorts of roadworks and its ETA  kept rising until it reached 7:53! That was 23 minutes after kick off!
Thankfully, still maintaining a sensible speed and distance from the cars in front, the roadworks weren't as bad as predicted and I made it to Hillheads just on kick off.
I had just joined Silly Andrew and Woodie when Bishops took the lead. In my frustration, I'm afraid I took my rage out on my programme, hurling it angrily down onto the ground.

Anger vented upon paper... the unacceptable face of football!

To rub salt into the old wound, it was old boy, Denver Morris, who had done the damage. My worst fears were being realised. Saturday's wounds were still fresh. But how could we be losing? The sun was still shining and the air was warm!
By half time, we were still losing and Luke Salmon's game had been reeled in, thanks to injury. In his place came James Proctor for his earliest introduction of the season (30 mins).

In order to keep their interest in the game going, it was essential the lads avoided a repeat of Saturday's early second half goal. Nathan had obviously told them so they pushed forward with conviction and started ruffling a few of the Bishops' feathers. Thomas Bott started adding his weight to the attack and it was his battle with the visitors' Daryl Hall. This was definitely not the musician who had performed so admirably with John Oates in the 70s and 80s. Our Hall was built like a brick $%&£house and had a slight height advantage on our own defensive colossus. As they battled away, the game swang Whitley's way. When keeper Nick Liversedge cleared a ball straight to a Bay shirt, he was extremely relieved to see the lobbed ball drift over his head. The lads were on the up.
Soon after, and with the lights only just illuminating the action, the Bay were level. Another rushed defensive clearance went straight to Brad Hird. His shot made no mistake as it flew into the left hand post.

 Cue usual celebratory picture:

Where's the warmth gone?
Who cares: 1-1

Complete farce followed, that ended up with referee, Craig Chatten's, grip on the game being firmly ripped from him. As a corner entered the six yard box, Proctor (I think) 'inadvertently' punched the ball goalwards. The ball was hooked clear and the Bishops called for a freekick. but CC felt sorry for us and decided to award us a penalty instead. Cue accusations being hurled at him, and his hapless linesman, by our indignant visitors.

"It was a blue arm..."
"When you wake up tomorrow..."
"You're a joke..."
"Is that the fourth thing, you didn't see lina?"
The abuse carried on but he stuck to his decision.
"But nobody appealed for a penalty!"

VAR results are in: Bishops freekick. If only the ref could have waited until the following afternoon!

To be fair, the ref could only have seen arms go up and had no idea which player handled. Behind the goal, we all laughed at the decision and I must admit, I did feel guilty for getting a penalty from this sequence of play. My instinct to tell the ref it was all a tragic mistake was easily supressed and Craig McFarlane stepped up to confidently drill the ball wide.

Justice had been done? The fear that this golden opportunity would come back to bite our behinds was strong. We now all expected Bishops to drive on to claim the winner in controversial fashion. But to buck a recent trend, the Bay continued to have the best chances. In fact, the whole incident had motivated the lads while Bishops had turned into feral beasts, arguing every decision and trying mostly foul means to wrestle the game away from the Bay. Daryl Hall (not the one with luscious curly blond locks to excite all and sundry) and ex Bay man, Callum Munro were getting away with murder and play was frequently broken up by moments of handbag fighting. CC remained completely ineffective as he kept his cards in his pocket and wandered around without the slightest air of authority.
A breakaway section from behind Liversedge's goal had taken up residence away to his left hand corner and their discussion of the merits of pot noodle pizzas was interrupted by the wondrous sight of Elfie's drive that was too powerful for the keeper's dive to stop. The lads were ahead with barely 7 minutes remaining.

They went wild...

Wildness ensued!

... sort of.

Whitley's first three points of the season had been earned at the expense of our old pal Chan's boys. After the shenanigans that had gone on, it couldn't have tasted sweeter.

10th August 2019 Hebburn Town FA Cup (h)

Courtesy of WBFC Twiter

I went away for one week and things had gone to pot. The first game of the season had ended in a very respectable 1-1 draw with Newcastle Benfield but then Billingham Town, who, had been beaten 6-0 in the first game of the season (at home to Stockton), turned the lads over 3-0 at Hillheads. Crowds had been up, with renewed enthusiasm: 417 and 337. But the Hillheads faithfull were still waiting to see their first victory of the season. The hopes of seeing that happen for today's match seemed as unlikely as the chances of Hillheads staying dry. Thunder storms and showers were predicted throughout the day.



The day started with a fairly dry Gateshead 10k for the Boy Mark and I, followed by a trip in pleasant sunshine to Hillheads.

The sun indeed was shining and the Bay started as if they were solar-powered.
Only five minutes in Luke Salmon had the first chance but after rounding the Hebburn Keeper, his effort was saved on the line with a hint of handball.

Next up, it was Lee Kerr, followed by another Luke Salmon effort that was saved by the keeper's leg. On the downside, Nathan Stephenson was booked for disagreeing with the referee on one of his many puzzling, and some might say, scandalous decisions. Who says we have freedom of speech?

Finally, Brad Hird was put through and this time, he rolled the ball under the advancing keeper's body. Hillheads erupted.

The joy lasted four minutes. Two Hebburn penalties turned the first half on its head and all the lads' hard work had been undone. It was no coincidence that the rain started falling. The heavens had had their hearts broken!
There was worse to follow, just two minutes into the second half. A Hebburn freekick was turned in. 438 fans were mostly gutted. So was the home team. Four more goals (one a penalty), an Anderson own goal (sliding in perfectly at the far post to score) and a Bott sending off for a second booking were the 'rewards' for the home fans.
It was the footballing gods reminding us that there are no shortcuts to success. Nathan's brand of football will take to time to come good. Frustrated and cheesed off doesn't come close to explaining how The Boy Mark and I felt after the game. This will be a long road. I'm placing my faith in a Pony Rider charging to our rescue. Who knows what this next turn in the Bay rollercoaster will bring us?

Courtesy of Shanks' Twitter