Shildon v Newton Aycliffe
It’s August Bank Holiday Monday and the only game on in the Northern League is a fifteen-minute walk from Sixsmith Towers at Dean Street, where Shildon are taking on Newton Aycliffe.
The weather has improved from the previous day and, although the sun is hardly cracking flags, I leave Chantelle and Tallulah to their household duties, giving them strict instructions to file my collection of “Big and Bouncy” (I read it for the gardening column) in their new leather binders. They set about this task with alacrity, comparing notes and looking for tips.
After a pleasant stroll to the ground wearing my new spats and trilby, I enter the stadium with a cheery “Hello” to all and sundry. The programme is purchased as is the Golden Goal ticket and the rusty club secretary passes me a team sheet which I eagerly peruse.
Shildon field a strong side and can afford to leave Billy Greulich-Smith (one of the Sunderland Greulich-Smith’s and a dashed good sort) and Danny Earle (although it doesn’t say where he is Earl of; I shall have a word with the editor) on the bench while the visitors have but two active substitutes. Club captain Dan Mitton can be seen holding a baby in his arms as he walks around the pitch in his track suit.
It’s a game that Shildon would hope and expect to win although the visitors had a good win over those ecclesiastics from Auckland on Saturday.
From the start, Shildon seize the initiative and pin the visitors back. They defend stoutly, but the deadlock is broken when the tricky Jack Blackford puts in a cross and it is turned over the line by Aycliffe full back Alan Harrison.
This takes place in the 12th minute and blow me down if that is not the time on my Golden Goal ticket. A splendid prize is on my way and I promise myself a vellum binder for my valuable magazines.
The Railwaymen now proceed to sit back and admire the scenery as if they were in the dining car of The Royal Scot and the rather more plebeian Aycliffeites get back into the game thanks to their two full backs.
First of all, the impressive Tom Gavin drives home a free kick from 30 yards to equalise and then a speculative lob from the miscreant Harrison is allowed to go unchallenged and Daniel Kent (no relation to my old chum The Duke of) propels it over the line with the faintest of touches.
The half time tiffin is served in the rather swish new committee lounge, although some rather inferior types from the press and other clubs have been handed invites.
Mr Daniel “Bobby” Moore, the Shildon player- manager and Mr Michael Barron, his assistant, have clearly had strong words with their players and they come out and launch a wave of attacks on the Aycliffe goal.
Like the Thin Red Line at the Battle of Balaclava they hold it, although many in the healthy attendance of 484 felt that Young Ben Trotter should have equalised with a header. Mr Deane Brown, the Aycliffe manager and his assitants breathe a number of sighs of relief.
Moore and Barron (ably assisted by Master Mark Hudson) make important changes and Greulich-Smith and Earle arrive to pep up the forward line and to try to break the well marshalled Aycliffe resistance led by the inspiring Aaron Browne.
Nippy,urchin like winger Blackford provides another teasing cross which Greulich-Smith nods home and a few minutes later a corner from elderly retainer Keith Graydon is forced over the line by the callow youth that is Aidan Haywood.
And so Shildon metaphorically don their carpet slippers, light a pipe and pour themselves a brandy and soda in the most comfortable armchair that they can find, confident that the job has been done and that these irritants have been quashed.
How wrong could they have been.
The visitors gird up their loins (or is it loin up their girds) and once again seize the initiative. They grab a thoroughly deserved point when Kurt Matthews is permitted to advance with the ball and place a shot past Shaun Newbrook in the Shildon goal, while the Shildon defence stands around apparently admiring Mr Matthews’ boots or tattoos.
There are a couple of spurious claims for penalties from that now rattled Railwaymen and when the referee blows the whistle for the end of the game, the spoils have been shared.
All in all, it was a jolly fine game and one in which the visitors thoroughly deserved a point. Both sides missed chances but the crowd were entertained throughout and parted in a fug of good humour and jolly banter.
From here, I popped back to the old house to check up on Chantelle and Tallulah and then speed off in the shooting brake to Spennymoor for their game with FC United of Manchester. It will have to be a good one to match the morning kick off.
Shildon 3 Newton Aycliffe 3
Pete Sixsmith