Bishop Auckland	0 - 8	Newcastle United Reserves
Half time:	0 - 2
Score Sheet:
		Chopra (13) Boyd (18) Ferrell (52) Orr (58) McMenamin (71) Boyd (73) Ferrell (77) Ferrell (81)
	Teams
David Campbell Stephen Jones Warren Byrne Brian Rowe Mark Salmon Michael Heckley Paul Proudlock David Bayles Danny Brunskill Carl Chillingworth Antony Skedd		Adam Collin Ryan McGuffie Wayne Quinn David Cowan Marcelino Mark Boyd Bradley Orr Brian Kerr Carl Cort Shola Ameobi Michael Chopra
Substitutes:
tbc		Colin McMenamin for Cort (46) Andy Ferrell for Ameobi (46) Karl Colley for Marcelino (46)
Subs not used:
Kevin Shoulder Kevin Bromley John Lydon Martin Hall
Bookings:
Referee: tbc
Attendance: estimated at 750

13 mins First blood in the rain to Michael Chopra, who had started in a wide role to allow Cort and Ameobi to play up front. He ran on to a Bradley Orr pass and smashed the ball in off the bar from 15 yards 1-0

18 mins The visitors doubled their advantage when Carl Cort played a short pass to Mark Boyd just outside the box. 'Skip' then rattled in a 20 yarder high past the goalkeeper's right into the top corner of the net 2-0

Half time: Bishops 0 Newcastle Reserves 2
 
52 mins kicking towards the "cricket field" end, half-time sub Andy Ferrell took a Chopra pass on the left before driving home in off the keeper from 12 yards 3-0

58 mins Midfielder Bradley Orr found the net after Colin McMenamin pulled the ball back from the right 4-0

71 mins Now reinstated to a forward role, Chopra made headway down the right and turned provider for his strike partner Colin McMenamin, who had an easy finish 5-0

73 mins The goal of the night, as Mark Boyd belied his bulky appearance with some nimble footwork to dance through four defenders and the keeper before slotting home  6-0

77 mins With the goals now coming thick and fast and the superior skill and fitness of the toon team starting to kick in, Andy Ferrell received the ball in space before taking a step forward and blasting it home from 20 yards into the top corner  7-0

81 mins A close-range effort from Ferrell completed his hat trick, and within a couple of minutes the referee decided he'd seen enough, and blew for time 8-0

Full time: Bishops 0 Newcastle Reserves 8 

The briefest of quotes from Tommy Craig who said:

"Carl's looking pretty much near to the point where the gaffer will be able to give him the nod.

"His attitude, and that of the other first team players involved, was first class last night."

A rainy night at Kingsway didn't deter a crowd over twice that for any league game this season turning out and putting some valuable cash in the Bishop's kitty.

Preparations are well under way for the final ever game at this eccentric old ground, when Bradford PA are the visitors in mid-April for a Unibond fixture, but this was the night that a professional side made one final visit.

The attractive urban location of this ground, together with the unique redevelopment problems (the far end of the pitch becomes the cricket club) meant that Kingsway was long ago under threat from the bulldozers, and with plans to relocate two miles down the road to a site at Tindale Crescent, the end is nigh.

However, the new ground is still at the planning stage, meaning that Bishops face having to play next season on a borrowed pitch. A survey has recently been carried out by Unibond officials as to the suitability of other venues, with West Auckland, Crook, Shildon under consideration, plus the possibility of a groundshare at Spennymoor's Brewery Field.

The latter would see two traditional rivals reunited, but as things stand at present it's the Bishops who would be in the lower of the two Unibond divisions. Their bad run has been matched by a resurgence in Spenny fortunes in recent months, with the Brewers now dreaming of promotion.

This turnaround in fortunes can be attributed to new Spenny boss Tony Lee. Unfortunately he left Kingway to take up the post, a decision that did nothing for inter-club relations.

If Lee's departure did have one advantage though, it was that it allowed Newcastle old boy Alan Shoulder to take up the reins at Bishops, and he called up his old mate Tommy Craig, who was only too happy to bring down a side to help out the non-league strugglers.

As to the match itself, it was a familiar tale in this sort of game, with plenty of endeavour from the home team in the early stages and one or two good chances, but an ever-increasing tide of goals conceded to the professional side as the game progressed. However, the occasion and the funds raised were of course far more important than the score.

Biffa 

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