Durham City AFC faced off against New Durham AFC in a thrilling league encounter at Bowburn Colliery Welfare Football Field on 21 September 2024. The match, which kicked off at 2:00 PM, saw Durham City emerge victorious with a scoreline of 3-2, showcasing a resilient performance from the visitors.
Durham City adopted a 4-4-2 formation, which is a classic setup that emphasises a solid defensive structure while allowing for quick counter-attacks. In this configuration, Daniel Hebden occupied the goalkeeping position, shielded by a back four consisting of James Carr and Luke Hegarty as right and left defenders, respectively, with Josh Thompson and Michael Elliott anchoring the central defence. The midfield featured Brandon Greziak on the right, Adam Frame and Fammara Jatta in central roles, while Alex Carr operated on the left flank. Up front, Owen Hayton and Nathan Smith formed the striking partnership, expected to press the opposition and convert scoring opportunities.
The substitutes for Durham City included Kwesi Attuah, Stanley Ogunsuyi, Reece Mcewan, and Hayden Pace, providing depth and tactical options for the manager throughout the match.
The action started early with Brandon Greziak testing the New Durham defence in the second minute with a high attempt that did not trouble the goalkeeper. However, it was not long before Adam Frame found himself in an offside position, a decision deemed incorrect by the referee in the eleventh minute. Shortly after, Owen Hayton had two attempts in quick succession, both of which went wide, as did Nathan Smith’s effort in the seventeenth minute, indicating a promising start for Durham City but a lack of precision in front of goal.
Durham continued to apply pressure, and Hayton's persistence paid off as he again tried his luck in the nineteenth minute, only to see his shot miss the target. The visitors came close to breaking the deadlock in the twentieth minute when Fammara Jatta struck the crossbar, a near miss that could have changed the course of the match. As the half progressed, Nathan Smith had a shot saved in the twenty-eighth minute, but it was Hayton who found himself in the referee's book for unsporting behaviour shortly thereafter.
As the first half drew to a close, Adam Frame's attempt in the thirty-first minute went wide, and Alex Carr's effort in the fortieth minute also sailed high, leaving the score at 0-0 as the teams headed into the half-time break. However, just as the second half began, Durham City took the lead with a set-piece goal from Brandon Greziak, who scored from close range after an assist from Adam Frame following a corner in the forty-fifth minute.
The second half saw immediate tactical changes as Kwesi Attuah replaced Greziak in the forty-seventh minute due to injury. Adam Frame then doubled the lead for Durham City in the sixty-first minute, scoring a stunning goal from outside the box with his right foot, giving the visitors a comfortable 2-0 advantage.
However, the momentum shifted in the sixty-eighth minute when Daniel Hebden fouled an opponent in the box, leading to a penalty for New Durham. The home side capitalised on this opportunity, scoring from the spot to reduce the deficit to 2-1. Subsequently, Nathan Smith returned to the pitch in the seventieth minute, replacing the injured Owen Hayton.
As the match progressed, Stanley Ogunsuyi came on for Adam Frame in the sixty-fifth minute and Reece Mcewan replaced Nathan Smith shortly after. The intensity of the game heightened, and in the eight-eighth minute, Ogunsuyi scored a spectacular lobbed goal, assisted by a long pass from Hebden, extending Durham City's lead to 3-1.
Despite the late drama, New Durham were not finished yet. In the dying moments of the match, they managed to scramble a goal from a goalmouth situation, bringing the score to 3-2 in the ninetieth minute. This late strike set up a tense finish, but Durham City held on to secure all three points, marking a significant victory in their campaign.
