Recap
Bishop Auckland: Catterick, Burlace, Risbrough, Errington, McGoldrick, Gott, Daley, Whitfield, Giles, Johnson, Thexton
Crook Town: Makepeace, Mitton, Garrity, Lazonby, Wilson, Winstanley, Walker, Gardiner, Burnicle, Brown, Moody
A thoroughly dominant Bishops ran riot in the second half against Crook, to open the new year in style at the AJS Joinery Stadium, Heritage Park. Despite pretty much one-way traffic, there was only one goal between the sides at the interval, courtesy of a superb Craig Gott free kick on 33 minutes.
Bishops could easily have opened the scoring inside the opening minutes but Errington blazed over a shot from several yards out after a Gott shot was saved. Thexton tested Makepeace at his near post and Johnson sliced an effort wide after good work on the edge of the box.
The under-pressure visitors defended with a lot of heart to delay the inevitable with Garrity preventing a goal when he cleared from under his own crossbar and Thexton was just wide with the follow-up effort. The free kick which saw Gott curl the ball over Makepeace came when Whitfield was bundled over, although it did appear a little harsh on the black and ambers.
Once Thexton increased the lead early after the break from a Johnson cross, it became a case of how many Bishops would score with Catterick and his defenders’ virtual spectators. Giles turned on the style for a quick-fire double, his first a powerful shot which squirmed past Makepeace before he side-footed home a Thexton pass from 10 yards out.
Substitute Matty Weirs almost prodded in a fifth goal moments after entering the field, but on 86 minutes Johnson grabbed the goal his overall performance deserved, firing across Makepeace to find the net.
v 