Following on from a narrow 1-2 home defeat to league leaders, Cleethorpes Town, a return debut was given to Wayne Whitfield as Bishops’ looked to get back to winning ways away from home at relegation threatened Liversedge, reports Gavin Hadden.
Gary Martin saw an opportunity in the fourth minute with a shot from near the centre circle which beat the home keeper only to roll off the post and to safety.
The home side, playing in their orange change strip, almost went ahead when a header was guided just wide.
Large parts of the opening half were scrappy with the ball spending a lot of time in the air, but on the rare occasion Bishops’ managed to get the ball down on the floor the home defence were opened up.
On the stroke of half time Martin fed Louis Johnson who beat the keeper only for John Howard to force the ball over the line from an offside position.
The second half started with heavy clouds overhead and Liversedge had a ‘goal’ also ruled out for offside before the rain began to hammer down.
Just past the hour mark Jonny Haase delivered an inch perfect cross from the right and Andrew May rose to head into the corner, giving the keeper no chance.
Just minutes later a through ball skidded off the drenched surface and Whitfield was taken out by Luke Jackson, the home stopper given a straight red card.
By the 77th minute there were real concerns the referee may halt proceedings such was the build up of puddles on parts of the pitch, but this didn’t stop Bishops’ going into a two goal lead when replacement keeper Zac Hadi failed to gather the ball and Glen Hargrave set up Johnson to fire home.
With the game seemingly now beyond the stage where it could get called off Norton produced a fine diving save down to his left to keep out a home effort and the remaining six minutes passed without incident which saw the Two Blues win for the first time in nine games.
Albeit academic, having stretched the gap between themselves and their opponents to 17 points, the win – with just six games remaining – takes Bishops to the brink of mathematically securing their status in the Northern Premier League East for another season.
Next up for the Two Blues is the visit of fourth-place Belper Town to Heritage Park this Saturday (29 March), followed by a Friday night game on 4 April at Heaton Stannington, themselves precariously perched one place above the relegation zone.
That will be followed by a trip on 12 April to Pontefract Collieries – currently in 17th place in the division – by which time the Two Blues will be hoping that their place in the league has already been secured for next season.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
