It was a case of a bad day at the office for Ferryhill Athletic when they travelled to the Bobby Robson Centre in Ushaw Moor to take on Deerness Valley in the league, reports Chris Orton.
Thankfully, the rain kept away this week and the game kicked-off with the sun attempting to break through the clouds.
The opponents were a much tougher proposition than faced the previous week, with Deerness Valley immediately proving to be a fast-paced, well-organised side.
They attacked from the off and were unlucky not to score after just ten minutes.
Ferryhill found it difficult to counter the constant attacking threat, but as the half progressed they began to make inroads into the opposition half, with Matthew Agar going close after fifteen minutes.
Shortly after, Athletic were awarded a free kick, but were unable to capitalise on it.
It was end-to-end stuff throughout, with Ferryhill forcing a fine save from the Deerness keeper just before the opponents attacked the away goal and took the lead with a well-taken finish.
Just before half-time, Adam Morland went close for Ferryhill but shot wide.
The second half began in a similar vein with Ferryhill taking control for a spell and adopting a generally more pressing tactic.
Despite this, the visitors were unable to put the ball past the Deerness substitute keeper, and former Ferryhill player, Leo Strange.
Late in the game, Deerness had their number four sent off for a second yellow, but the match remained 1-0 when the referee signalled time.
Next week, it’s another away game with the rescheduled match against New Durham AFC, provisionally at Bowburn Park.
Keep an eye out for social media updates as the location may change, depending on the weather.
Ferryhill & Chilton's local community newspaper.
