Dunston UTS 7 Crook Town 2

20th December 2014
Northern League Division One
Dunston UTS 7
Crook Town 2
Attt 166

Dunston entertain Crook Town at the UTS Stadium today with the visitors having a bad time in the League this season, currently lying in bottom place. Dunston secured a worthwhile draw at in-form Jarrow Roofing last week which saw them drop into 5th place in the table, however the mid-week results of the teams above them were good news. Tony Harrison takes charge of team affairs today as Billy Irwin has gone to Tadcaster to assess FA Vase opponents Heanor Town. Dunston are without the injured Liam Connell, David Coulson, Craig Hodgson and David Scorer. Nicky Kane and Gareth Williams are also unavailable but Michael Dixon and Ben Cattanach come back into contention.

 

Dunston started well and should have taken the lead in the first minute as Bulford shot over the bar from 6 yards. A minute later Bulford held the ball up, laid off to Ormston whose shot was blocked, the rebound fell to Dale Burrell who shot wide of the target. Crook reacted with two break-aways, the first on the right was cleared by Gilhespy and the second by Halliday on the left wing. On 6 minutes McAndrew put in a low cross which fell to Burrell whose shot was blocked by Winter. On 8 minutes crook’s Nicholson Crook was at the back post on the end of a cross but his shot was blocked by an alert McAndrew. On  12 minutes Smith played a ball through to Bulford but it was just too heavy and keeper Graham collected. However a minute later Dunston got the opening goal as Burrell crossed into the area to Michael Dixon who side footed a shot past a helpless Graham. On 20 minutes Harrison fed a short pass back to Burrell who shot went just wide.

 

On 21 minutes, after a pressure attack by Dunston, the ball fell to Andy Bulford who shot past Graham for 2 - 0. On 27 minutes Bulford chased a long ball originally meant for McAndrew deep into the Crook half, his deep cross found Burrell at the back post who headed back into the box where Michael Dixon initially shot against Graham but with his second attempt from close in, he made no mistake and it was 3 - 0. On 34 minutes Crook mounted a bit of pressure on the Dunston defence which remained defiant as bodies were blocking three goal-bound shots. The last of these chances was cleared to McAndrew who played Bulford through the middle only for the alert Graham to collect on the edge of his box. On 41 minutes Dan Smith pulled a ball back to Burrell whose cross was deflected to Bulford who shot over the bar, a minute later Bulford played a ball through to Smith but once again Graham pulled off a good save which prevented another goal.

Half time score: 3 - 0

Crook came out fighting in the second half and on 46 minutes former Dunston player Wells shot but Clark saved low to his left. Dunston retaliated and a McAndrew cross was parried by Graham under a challenge from Bulford but he was able to collect at the second attempt. On 48 minutes Alexander attacked the Dunston defence and unleashed a shot from 20 yards which went just over Clark’s crossbar. Immediately from the clearance Bulford played in Lee McAndrew who continued his run into the Crook box before shooting from 8 yards, Graham could only watch as the ball hit his legs and roll into the net for 4 - 0

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Dunston were now well in command and on 52 minutes Harrison had a shot blocked by Graham, the rebound was crossed into the box and fell to Smith who fed it back to Dale Burrell whose shot from 25 yards flew into the net for 5 - 0. On 55 minutes Ormston fed into Harrison whose shot was again saved by Graham. 3 minutes later a McAndrew cross- cum-shot glanced off the Crook crossbar, the ball was fed out to Burrell whose shot spun wide of the post. On 64 minutes Dixon's low cross fell to Dan Wilson, on as a substitute for Burrell, whose shot was on target passing a helpless Graham for 6 - 0. On 65 minutes Wilson put in across to the back post but Graham fisted clear under challenge from Bulford. Wilson played back to Wightman, on for Smith, his shot was well saved by Graham. On 69 minutes Crook got a chance as Fremliin shot over the bar from 20 yards. 4 minutes later Emson was played into the box and shot over from 18 yards. On 76 minutes Bulford took on Mould and appeared to have created space to shoot only to find his shot blocked by the defender in a desperate challenge.

On 80 minutes Wilson was fed in by McAndrew but his shot went just over the bar. On 82 minutes a bizarre decision by the referee ruled that a deflected ball by Dixon, which Clark only saved at full length along the ground, was a deliberate back-pass. From the resulting indirect free-kick 8 yards out, Wyn Fremlin blasted a shot into the players on the line and the ball was deflected high into the net for a consolation goal. Dunston returned to the other end as Bulford turned his man and shot from 12 yards but his effort was deflected by a defender onto the goalkeeper’s legs and was rebounded away to safety. Crook were then awarded a free-kick 25 yards out as Harrison fouled Nicholson. Wyn Fremlin took the free-kick and sent the ball over the wall, wide of Clark's left-hand and into the net for Crook's second goal and 6 - 2 to Dunston after 85. On 87 minutes Dunston got their seventh as Dan Wilson played a low cross in towards Bulford, however the unfortunate Craig Winter could only deflect the ball into his own goal to round off the scoring.

Full time score: Dunston 7  Crook Town  2

 

Dunston Man of the Match: Lee McAndrew, in good a team performance Lee’s runs, crosses and goal stood him out above the others. Dale Burrell and Dan Smith also turned in good performances but missed out purely as they made way for second half substitutes after the hour mark. Andy Bulford also put in another good shift and was unfortunate not to add to his first half goal.
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Dunston UTS: Clark, Harrison, Halliday, Burrell (Wilson), Cattanach, Gilhespy, Smith (Wightman) Ormston, Dixon, Bulford, McAndrew. Subs not used: Coulson, Preen.

Crook Town: Graham, Mitchell, Wells, Mould, Winter, Webster, Nicholson, Davidson, Emson, Alexander, Fremlin. Subs not used: Hardy, Brazauskas, Toomey, Nolan.

 

Match Pictures Click Here

Referee. M. Dicicco, Assistants, J. Wood, S. Packer.

Report by Tom Clark