WEST AUCKLAND TOWN 2-1 TOW LAW TOWN
(Saturday 21 April, 15:00)What a difference a few days make! After bitter disappointment at Horden West Auckland turned in a much improved performance to see off local rivals Tow Law Town. Veterans Phil Owers and David Bayles helped sturdy the defence that helped West surpass the 70 point mark for the season.
Darren Kokes was the man whose goal gave West the vital three points but before this, early on in the game, he could have already added his name to the score sheet fashioning a chance on the edge of the box for himself before firing across the face of the goal. However it was Tow Law who took a stunning lead in the 13th minute with their first effort on target when Carl Pepper was allowed time to look up and fire a 30 yard shot into the top corner of the net giving Phil Owers, deputising for the suspended Mark Bell, little chance. Jonathan Milroy tried to respond with some good footwork to cut inside into the area but as he went to shoot the ball took a nasty bobble and the resulting shot was of more trouble to the corner flag than Craig Alston in goal.
Tow Law's Lee Hamilton nearly benefited when reacting quickly to a cross that flicked off a West defender's head, Hamilton's overhead kick lacked power to beat Phil Owers from 10 yards. The already depleted West were again to lose another player with Danny Richmond was unable to continue due to illness. Jamie Middleton nearly had a chance to level minutes before the break but, under pressure, could not get a clean head to the ball with the ball ending up wide for a goal kick.
The first real chance of the second half saw Phil Owers in action, leaping to claw Lee Hamilton's lob out of the air after the forward had managed to break clear of the defence to meet a through ball. It was West who got back on level terms in the 60th minute when Jonathan Milroy's surging run down the left hand side saw him pull his cross perfectly back to Ryan McKnight, arriving at the back post and the midfielder grabbed his first for the club hitting his shot into the ground and past the keeper. Four minutes later, Jamie Middleton's low long range effort was well held by Craig Alston.
However a minute later, the keeper could not stop West taking the lead. Kevin Bromley made good ground on the left, before slipping the ball past his marker into the path of Darren Kokes. The forward took control of the ball and drew in the keeper before calmly slotting home his ninth of the season.
Both sides tried but did not have many efforts of note after this although West did have a couple of chances to extend their lead. The first came when Jamie Middleton tried to take the ball past Steven Tobin on the edge of the area. With Middleton through on goal, Tobin stopped the ball with his hand and a dangerous free kick awarded a yard outside the box. From this, Brian Fairhurst's fired cross was sliced into the air just yards from goal before being headed clear for a corner. Then, 2 minutes from the end, Jonathan Milroy advanced into the area before his delicate cross found Darren Kokes whose close range header was deflected wide for a corner. West held on to the three points to end a home campaign on a high after a stuttering run of late. They finish the season away to Newcastle Blue Star hoping to finish as high as fifth in the league table.
Team
1 Mark Bell
2 Michael Heckley
3 David Bayles
4 Jamie Middleton
5 Brian Fairhurst
6 Leigh Grant
7 Darren Kokes
8 Danny Richmond
(12. Ryan McKnight 29 mins)
9 Jonathan Milroy
10 Ian Maddison
11 Kevin Bromley