Newcastle Benfield v Bishop Auckland

Recap

Bishops secured the point needed for the league title at a raucous Newcastle Benfield, and did it in plenty of style!

In a first half flooded with chances the half-time scoreline of 0-3 flattered the home side.  Louis Johnson got the party started on the four-minute mark when he beat several opponents with a superb piece of skill and steered the ball into the top corner as the keeper tried to close the angle.

Just after being denied by a superb reflex save Liam Henderson thundered in a header from a corner and Johnson quickly added his second of the half after a Risbrough effort was parried into his path as Bishops’ threatened to swamp the blue and whites inside the half-hour mark.

Mohammad swivelled into a shooting position and hit the upright before the halftime whistle was greeted with huge applause from the 200 or so Bishop supporters on the ground.

Two goals in two minutes just after the hour mark got Bishops back in the scoring groove.  Henderson capitalised on a poor attempted clearance from the Benfield stopper to lift the ball home from a tight angle.  Brown then bundled the ball into the net from another corner.

As they sang songs in the stands picked up regularity and intensity Risbrough strolled through the gaping Benfield defence to roll in the sixth and then Thexton made amends for a missed chance minutes earlier when he connected cleanly to guide the ball in the far corner from 8 yards outs.

The evening’s scoring was completed by Lenox Magalhaes with three minutes left as a poor defensive header was punished, the only stain on a celebratory evening for Bishops.

Match report by Gavin Hadden