A busy fortnight for Bishop Auckland FC has seen the Two Blues play and win four games in three different tournaments: twice in the league and in both the FA Vase and Durham Challenge Cup.
First to fall victim to the promotion favourites and league leaders were Northallerton, who were sent home seven goals worse off after a rampant Bishop scored five times in the first half and twice more in the second.
Vinnie Steels (11) set the home side on their way before Gary Martin struck a 19-minute hat-trick (13, 19, 32).
Bailey Adamson completed the first half scoring and opened the second half (37, 51) before Liam Noble (59) completed the scoring with half an hour still to play.
Next to leave Heritage Park with neither points nor goals were Redcar Town, who fell to a 2-0 midweek defeat thanks to a second half double from Bailey Adamson (57, 71).
The win saw Bishop stretch their lead at the top of the table where they sit on 47 points, three ahead and one game in hand over Easington Colliery, who have lost their last two league games.
Next up was the visit of Atherton Laburnum Rovers of the North West Counties Football League in the second round of the FA Vase.
They too failed to find the route to the Bishops net while the hosts again comfortably dispatched their opponents.
Gary Martin (21) opened the scoring with the only goal of the first half, but an immediate strike at the beginning of the second period from Vinnie Steels (46), doubled the lead.
Martin’s second (76), was Bishops’ third and the cherry on the icing came from from Collins Unuareokpa deep into stoppage time.
Bishops now face a trip to LIverpool to face another NWCL side in Woolton FC in the third round.
Bishops ended their sequence with a hard fought come from behind win at Horden in the Durham Challenge Cup, albeit the Two Blues opened the scoring in the 19th minute through eventual hat-trick hero, Bailley Adamson.
Horden hit back to level from the spot through Jack Pounder (38) before Harry Norris (60) gave the home side a shock lead.
But two goals in a minute from Norris (72, 73 pen) turned the tie back in Bishops’ favour and they saw out the remaining time to reach the quarter finals.
Next up, this weekend is a trip to Newcastle Benfield before returning to Heritage Park the following weekend when they welcome Birtley Town.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
