Bishops’ displayed their superiority against Heaton Stannington last weekend to chalk off another victory, moving up to 9th in the table and making it ten games unbeaten in the Northern Premier League East Division, writes Gavin Hadden.
After a couple of early sighters, JJ Bartliff driving an angled shot which De Jesus beat away and Jonny Haase flicking the top of the cross bar with a thunderous effort, John Howard opened the scoring on 26 minutes.
A corner worked its way out to the midfield man and, after beating a couple of players, he guided an inch perfect shot across goal and in off the far post.
Jack Norton, again deputising for Ryan Catterick, was rarely stretched in the opening half but commanded his area well and safely dealt with a long range effort as the visitors struggled to impose themselves on the game.
After a couple of efforts were blocked, Bishops’ pressure told three minutes before half time when Bartliff played Louis Johnson through and the striker displayed expert composure in slotting past De Jesus.
The visitors saw more of the ball at the beginning of the second period and arguably had their best moment of the game when a nice move resulted in a shot being pulled just wide of Norton’s goal.
However, Bishops’ were still getting plenty of joy out wide and regularly posed an attacking threat, and it was a delightful team move which saw the crucial third goal of the game.
After nice build up play, Gary Martin provided Johnson the opportunity which again was taken with aplomb, a lovely dink over the out rushing keeper.
Bishops’ ensured the margin of victory was the biggest so far in the league this season as Bartliff’s speculative effort with just three minutes left on the clock somehow escaped the keeper’s grasp and squirmed over the line.
Young substitute Leo Robinson almost added a fifth in the dying embers of the game but his header glanced the far post.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
