Bishops’ return to FA Trophy action was a brief one as visiting NPL North West Division outfit Nantwich Town progressed from a tight affair at the weekend, reports Gavin Hadden.
The Two Blues made a promising start, almost leading inside the opening minutes when a fierce Johnson shot was pushed wide by Garratt in the visitors goal.
On thirteen minutes, a Johnson pass was intercepted in the Nantwich half which led to a sweeping move and a ball across the Bishop backline that found Pratt who controlled to fire in off the far post.
The scores were levelled up just inside the half hour when a corner was not cleared and after Gell had a shot blocked, Greaves chipped the loose ball over a defender on the line to score his first goal for the club.
Bishops were looking the better side, but there were still a couple of scares at the back as Nantwich looked dangerous on the break. Bartliff and Johnson combined well on 35 minutes but the former’s shot was well saved.
Catterick was called into action early in the second half, blocking an effort from close range at his near post, but he could do nothing about Saunders goal on 59 minutes when the forward was in acres of space to guide in a cross from the right.
At times this was an improved performance, but Bishops were unable to claw back the deficit and exited the competition by the same scoreline that did for them in the league the previous weekend when they travelled to Brighouse Town.
On that occasion, Bishops’ squandered an early lead after a promising first half performance in sunny West Yorkshire, and for successive weekends returned to the North East empty handed, having previously been thumped 5-1 at Carlton Town.
An excellent Louis Johnson goal gave Bishops’ a good start to the game but it lasted just nine minutes as Harris nodded in unchallenged from a corner kick.
The home side edged ahead with twenty minutes remaining, Harris grabbing his second of the match when Catterick spilled a weak shot into his path for an easy tap in.
With the season in its infancy, Bishops sit fourth from bottom after five games and will look to put some distance between themselves and bottom side Bridlington Town, who visit Heritage Park on Saturday, followed by Pontefract Collieries on Tuesday.
They then travel to Grimsby Borough on Saturday 21 September.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
