Dunston UTS 0 Newcastle Benfield 0

Report by Billy Montague
Tuesday 24th March 2015
Ebac Northern League – First Division
Final Score: Dunston UTS 0 Newcastle Benfield 0
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Dunston welcomed Newcastle Benfield to the UTS Stadium for this Ebac Northern League Division 1 game. The visitors arrived as one of the form teams in the League having strung together some excellent results recently including a brilliant 2-0 victory over the impressive Shildon AFC. Their regular front two of Paul Brayson and Dan Taylor have been in devastating form of late after ripping apart most defences.
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Dunston were boosted by the return to the team of captain Michael Dixon, centre-half David Coulson and left-back Dan Halliday after suspension and injury but this was countered by the absence of Gareth Williams and Stephen Harrison. Gary Ormston was given a rest after playing in almost every game to date and dropped to the bench alongside Lee McAndrew, David Scorer, Jonny Wightman and Andy Clark.
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The game opened at a furious pace with both teams going hammer and tongs to gain early superiority. Despite the hard graft in midfield neither side was able to fashion a clear-cut scoring chance until the 15th minute when Andy Bulford’s fierce shot was bravely blocked by Richie Slaughter after a good Dan Wilson set-up. Two minutes later a Nicky Kane cross was met by the hard-working Dan Smith but his goal-bound header was deflected wide by Stephen Tobin. Smith then sent in a dangerous low cross on 20 minutes that keeper Mark Cook did well to collect safely. Cook was in action again soon after when he parried a David Coulson header after a Ben Cattanach free-kick from the right. In the 22nd minute a good run on the left saw Nicky Kane send in a wicked cross which Andy Bulford headed just over with Cook beaten.
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Kane repeated his run and cross in the 26th minute but a good defensive flicked header by Stephen Tobin deflected the ball just over the head of the menacing Bulford. After Dan Wilson went close again from a Cattanach cross, Dunston were almost made to pay for their missed chances in the 32nd minute when a poor defensive header fell to the ever-dangerous Paul Brayson whose snap volley flew onto the top of the bar and bounced to safety. Two minutes later, Brayson burst into the Dunston box and only a brilliant save by Dunston keeper Liam Connell prevented the ex-Newcastle striker from giving the visitors the lead. On 40 minutes Dale Burrell made a tricky run past three Benfield defenders but his powerful shot was confidently saved by Cook.
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The visitors’ keeper was called into action again two minutes later but again he made no mistake when dropping onto a Bulford effort after the Dunston top-scorer had been set up by Kane. In first-half stoppage time, Dunston were awarded a free-kick on the left which was sent to the far-post by Dan Halliday but after getting free of his marker, Dan Wilson could only bundle the ball agonisingly wide of the target.
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Half-time Score: Dunston UTS 0 Newcastle Benfield 0
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Having been so evenly matched in the first-half, both sides came out after half-time in the same determined mood and after some early attack and counter-attack, it was Benfield who had the first real scoring opportunity in the 49th minute when ex-Consett player Gilberto Chapim was fouled just outside the Dunston box. Paul Brayson hammered the free-kick across goal but the Dunston defenders were relieved to see the ball fly past the far post.
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On 54 minutes Andy Bulford muscled his way past Lewis Scorgie on the turn but his shot flew high and wide. As the fierce tackling from both sides continued, Dan Halliday took a free-kick from the left in the 59th minute but the Benfield defenders Tobin, Slaughter and Scorgie were dominant and made sure that the Dunston attackers could not threaten Cook. On 64 minutes, Benfield substitute Shane Jones fizzed in a 25-yard shot that tested Liam Connell but the Dunston keeper held onto the ball low down to his left.
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Three minutes later it was Cook’s turn at the other end to pull off a good stop to deny Dan Halliday who had made a good run and sent in a powerful low shot. On 70 minutes Nicky Kane sent a header just over the Benfield bar and then two minutes later Lewis Scorgie did the same when he got on the end of a Michael Hoganson free-kick. In the 73rd minute Chapim set up Brayson but his final effort went just wide of the Dunston post. On 76 minutes a great run by Dan Smith resulted in a right-wing corner and when Dan Halliday swung over the flag-kick, Andy Bulford flicked a header just wide of the near post. Two minutes later, Smith made another forceful run and set up Nicky Kane whose dangerous cross was expertly picked out of the air by keeper Cook.
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In the 80th minute, Benfield almost broke the deadlock when a Mark Convery cross was met by substitute Dan Taylor but fortunately for Dunston the header flew straight at Liam Connell who was able to gather. In the very next minute, Connell had to pull off an excellent save to deny Paul Brayson whose header looked to be going into the top-left corner before the keeper intervened. On 83 minutes Dale Burrell sent in a strong shot at the other end which Cook was able to block but the Dunston midfielder was injured in the act of shooting and had to be replaced by Gary Ormston. In the 87th minute Bulford worked a good opening but his goal-bound effort was blocked by Lewis Scorgie who typified the attitude of both teams as they were determined not to concede.
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Dunston’s late substitutions saw Lee McAndrew and Jonny Wightman give them some late impetus and they almost grabbed a late winner in stoppage time. A fierce low diagonal cross by Gary Ormston saw goalkeeper Cook partially parry across goal to the far-post where Lee McAndrew looked a certain scorer until his effort was somehow kept out by a defender on the line with the Dunston players appealing for hand-ball. The decision didn’t go in their favour and the danger was cleared with the Referee calling a halt to the game which had ended in the draw being a fair reflection of proceedings.
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Full-Time Score: Dunston UTS 0 Newcastle Benfield 0
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Dunston Man of the Match: Dan Smith, his hard running and tackling summed up the whole game in which neither team was willing to give an inch. Despite there being no goals, it was not for the want of effort from either side, and the draw was a fair result.
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Dunston UTS: Connell, Cattanach, Halliday, Burrell (Ormston), Coulson, Gilhespy, Smith,
Dixon, Wilson (Wightman), Bulford, Kane (McAndrew). Subs not used: Clark, Scorer.
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Newcastle Benfield: Cook, Turnbull, Hoganson, Slaughter, Tobin, Scorgie, Youldon
(Convery), Chapim, Brayson, Hardy (Taylor), Baptiste (Jones). Subs not used: McAllindon, Leeson.
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Next home game... League 4th April versus Morpeth Town, Kick off 3:00pm

...................................NL Div 1 Upto & Inc 25th March 2015 .....................................
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Guisborough Town	37	23	8	6	86	41	45	77
2	West Auckland	37	22	7	8	95	49	46	73
3	Shildon	34	23	3	8	92	41	51	72
4	Marske Utd	35	21	8	6	89	43	46	71
5	North Shields	34	21	6	7	74	40	34	69
6	Dunston UTS	35	20	6	9	62	39	23	66
7	Jarrow Roofing	39	19	6	14	76	59	17	63
8	Consett	36	17	9	10	93	64	29	60
9	Morpeth Town	36	15	12	9	71	62	9	57
10	N' Benfield	38	16	8	14	83	68	15	56
11	Durham City	36	16	6	14	68	61	7	54
12	Whitley Bay	36	16	3	17	73	89	-16	51
13	Bishop Auckland	35	16	2	17	61	64	-3	50
14	Ashington	37	13	5	19	60	74	-14	44
15	Bedlington Terrs	35	13	4	18	65	68	-3	43
16	Penrith	33	11	10	12	55	61	-6	43
17	Newton Aycliffe	39	12	3	24	55	72	-17	39
18	W. Allotment Celtic	38	11	3	24	51	90	-39	36
19	Sunderland RCA	33	9	7	17	46	65	-19	34
20	Billingham Syn	38	10	4	24	63	92	-29	34
21	Celtic Nation	34	6	6	22	44	93	-49	24
22	Crook Town	37	1	4	32	38	165	-127	4