Saturday’s high stakes derby at Bishop Auckland had fans on the edge of their seats as the local title favourites faced off in an early promotion battle, writes community reporter Rhys Toomey.
Despite the odds, Shildon prevailed with a two-nil triumph over the hosts. “It was a good win; it was a big game, both teams are challenging each other for the league so we knew it was going to be a tough game,” said Shildon manager, Chris Hughes.
Shildon have had a difficult start to the season, having been unable to play during opening weekend due to Boro Rangers’ resignation and then going down to a 2-3 loss at home against Whitley Bay in midweek.
“We played really well,” said Hughes, reflecting on the midweek defeat. “It was one of those games where there are a lot of chances, but we’ve missed them, and today we have taken our chances well.”
In spite of fan expectations after opening their season with two wins, Bishops got off to a rocky start and found themselves behind when veteran striker, Billy Greulich-Smith found the net on 27 minutes.
“I think we started well,” he said afterwards. “Then I think we were really good defensively all over the pitch, so we didn’t give them many chances.
“I know we’ve created a lot of chances and it’s about getting ourselves in the right place. I’m happy to help the team out and get the goal to help us with the win,” he said.
Four minutes after his opener, the tie was effectively over when Alex Nelson put through his own net for the hosts.
Hughes was also keen to credit the visiting fans for their support: “It’s our closest fixture geographically, and obviously we had a good crowd today as well,” he said. “The Shildon fans turned out in good numbers to give us their backing.
“It was a tough battle; Bishop are a very good team, so we had to play our best today to be able to win.”
The important victory will boost Shildon’s confidence in their bid to return to the higher league, after falling short in the play-offs for the past three seasons.
“I’m really proud of the players,” said Hughes. “I think we have to be brave in these games and really commit to playing how we play. The boys did just that, and they worked really hard for each other, so I’m very proud of them today.”
“I thought we were brilliant from the first minute and we’ve come away with what we deserved,” said Greulich-Smith. “I’ve been here for 15 years now, and each season I enjoy it more than the last. I like playing here, and I like the lads. We’ve got a good bunch of them so it’s good to win for them.”
Story written by a volunteer community journalist for SWDN. If you would like to contribute, including writing articles, attending events on our behalf and/or taking photos, email volunteer[@]swd[.]news to get started or register interest for next workshop here.
Rhys Toomey
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
