Sacriston will be left wondering how they let a three goal led slip at New Durham and only just hung on to claim a point. A game which they dominated for 70 minutes of the match only to self destruct and allow New Durham to come away with a draw and to leave the home team happier with the point.
With Hilton working with Durham 2nd team, Hall and Hubber were in caretaker charge and the team picked itself with Quinn dropping to the bench instead of Boyd and Frazer having to sit on the bench for another match.
The first half saw Sacriston dominate the game with New Durham only testing Potts once on forty minutes which he managed to save well with his legs, the defense controlled the game well with Jones marshaling the troops at the back and Bladen and O’Brien controlling the two strikers with no problems.
Sacriston scored two goals in the first half with the first one coming after twenty minutes when Embleton whipped in a free kick and Gregory found himself unmarked and he powered in an unstoppable header from eight yards out. Things got better when Ward was tugged in the box ten minutes later and he stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot.
More goals could have been scored with O’Brien missing from six yards out and Coates finding himself one on one only to power the ball straight at the keeper, a four goal led at half time would have been a fair reflection.
Thankfully into the second half we did score our third when a delightful free kick was delivered once again by Embelton who picked out Draper who headed in from eight yards out with the keeper only being able to parry it into the top corner. Sacriston still created more chances with the keeper pulling off a couple of good saves although he shouldn’t have been given the chance to save them.
With twenty minutes to go Sacriston made two substitutions with Frazer coming on for the injured Gregory who had received two horror tackles on him with players being lucky to stay on the field and he was lucky to walk off the pitch, Quinn also came on adding fresh legs at right wing back instead of Welch.
With twenty minutes to go O’Brien fouled a New Durham player twenty five yards out, instead the referee allowed advantage and Draper was adjudged to have fouled a forward in the box when he was about to shot, the penalty was mishit by the Brenkley and Potts managed to get a leg on it and it somehow hit the underside of the bar and went in. Things got worse three minutes later when a foul twenty yards out saw substitute Allen step up and he curled in a unstoppable shot into the corner. With ten minutes to go New Durham had an excellent chance to level when forward Simpson jinxed his way past two Sacriston players and shot from fifteen yards out only for Potts to tip the ball behind for a corner. But with eight minutes to go Sacriston tried to play off side and allowed substitute Allen one on one with Potts, he shot from 15 yards out and Potts managed to get a finger tip on the shot and at first it looked like it was going wide but with spin on the ball it agonizingly went into the bottom corner and Sacriston were left gob smacked. New Durham were now on the push for the win and found them selves through on goal with five minutes left only for the referee to blow up for off side. The final whistle eventually blew and it was the home side who were happier with the point with Sacriston feeling like they had lost the game.
Twenty minutes of the game cost Sacriston the points, fair play to New Durham who never stopped and pushed and pushed to get something out of it in which they never looked in it the first seventy minutes.
The defense controlled the game well with twenty minutes to go and looked excellent with Jones playing very well at sweeper and the two markers allowing the New Durham forwards no sniffs on goal. Graeme Embleton was man of the match with him excelling in the midfield and he was the stand out player creating lots of chances for the Sacriston forward line.
Some of the play by New Durham when they didnt have the ball was horrible and shouldnt be seen on a football field and luckily no one was injured too badly on the Sacriston team, plain and simple it shouldn't be seen on a football field and it needs stamping out before someone does get hurt badly.
Next game is Sunday at Ferryhill Saints and three points is a must now after slipping up tonight.
