DURHAM CITY 5-1 WEST AUCKLAND
Saturday 8 December, 3:00PM, League
Lee Ellison brought an end to his difficult start to a managerial career, following a heavy defeat to Durham City. However it was 9 minutes of madness that cost West - level at the break they were behind 45 seconds into the second half and then conceded two in 60 seconds in the 54th minute, from which there was no way back.
Durham fired an early warning shot, dispossessing Danny Key on the edge of the area with Tommy English's shot held by Lee Hutton, coming in for the unavailable Alan Wilkinson. Durham were dangerous going forward and twice balls were flashed across the face of goal with a forward unable to make the telling connection.
The hosts then wasted a golden chance in the 14th minute when beating the offside trap, the forward pulled his shot narrowly wide. West Auckland stemmed the Durham tide with a slick move a minute later with Neil Robinson flicking the ball onto Dale Jardine and the forward's shot was held by the keeper.
West hopes were raised in the 19th minute with Bryan Stewart latching onto a short back pass. He rounded Johan Mohan, staying on his feet despite being clipped, but with no angle to aim at goal, Richard Smith came in and made the challenge to take the ball out for a corner and save Durham's blushes.
It was now the visitors making the running - Bryan Stewart's stinging low free kick was saved by Mohan who then did well to claw the ball away to safety from Neil Robinson who was looking for a tap in on the line after the ball came loose. A curling free kick then took a last touch off a defender and ended up inches wide as Durham escaped by the skin of their teeth.
However they weren't as lucky from the resulting corner when the referee spotting an infringement and awarded a penalty. Up stepped captain Brian Fairhurst to lead by example as he coolly sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot to give West the 22nd minute lead.
The response from Durham came quickly after this - John Toft's 27th minute effort looked to be heading for the top corner before a fingertip save from Lee Hutton pushed the ball over the bar. From the corner an effort was hooked over as Durham looked for a breakthrough.
They had to wait until 6 minutes till the break before next troubling the West goal and when they did it brought the equaliser. They got a large helping from Michael Heckley as winger Tommy English's shot cannoned off the defender and looped over Lee Hutton who, despite the keeper getting a hand to the ball, could not keep it out.
The second half began with frantic pace in driving rain. Dale Jardine went through on goal in the first few seconds but could not lob the keeper. Durham went up the other end of the field and, as is so often the case, then took the lead. It was just 45 seconds into the half when Lee Hutton saved the initial shot and in desperation Jamie Middleton cleared off the line only for John Toft to block from close range and the ball fly into the net.
West were shaken and another low shot was held by Hutton seconds later with another shot also going narrowly wide as Durham looked to add a two goal cushion with two minutes of the restart. Brian Fairhurst saw his free kick go over the bar as West looked to gain a foothold but hopes were then dashed with a double whammy in the 54th minute.
Firstly John Toft cut in from the right and fired a screamer into the far top corner and then to West's disbelief, straight from the restart, they broke again and when the initial shot hit the post, Lewis Dodds remained calm and composed, turned on the loose ball and stroked the ball past the defender on the line to give Durham a 4-1 lead.
It was more about damage limitation at this point although there could have been a lifeline i the 61st minute with good work releasing Bryan Stewart, he fizzed in a cross and from a few yards from goal, Neil Robinson, challenging with a defender, could only turn the ball back the way it came from.
A 35 yard shot from Durham flash by the post and Danny Key volleyed wide from a half clearance as both sides continued to work hard despite the wide gap in the score line. 5 minutes from the end, Durham capped the win with their fifth - a cross slid in by Andy Appleby. Tommy English had another shot flash wide as Durham pressed for another whilst West were quick to depart, knowing they were in with a chance of a result before a dramatic second half collapse.
1. Lee Hutton, 2. Michael Heckley, 3. Brian Fairhurst (12. Kevin Bromley 61 minutes), 4. Ian Maddison, 5. James Middleton, 6. Scott Nicholson, 7. Danny Richmond (15. Thomas Louden 61 minutes), 8. Danny Key, 9. Neil Robinson (14. Stuart Owen) , 10. Dale Jardine, 11. Bryan Stewart
Subs Not Used: 16. Garry Barnes
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