Guisborough Town vs Newcastle Benfield

Wednesday 23rd January 2008

Newcastle Benfield went into this tricky league cup as the current holders of the cup. It had all the makings of a giantkiller game with Guisborough riding high in the second division with hopes of promotion at the end of the season.

 Benfield were down to the bare bones with regard to team selection with four players being transferred to clubs and the three replacements being cup tied. To make matters worse due to an accident on the motorway three players who might have played in the starting eleven were late and confined to the bench giving seventeen year old Paul Chapman his first taste of action with the club.

  The match started at a decent pace and you could see that the home team were up for this game but it soon became clear that Benfield were the better and more experienced of the two teams .Guisborough were kicking down the slight slope with a strong wing at there back but they were proving no problem for Andrew Grainger in goal as he spent more time going into the trees at the back of the goal due to their wayward shooting. Benfield gradually took the game over with Alu Bangura bossing the midfield with Chappy also showing some good touches. It came as no surprise when Benfield opened the scoring in the 39th minute with the move started by Chapman who slid a pass inside the defender for Ian Graham to take up and skin the full back, he then looked up and drove in a fine low cross and BRIAN DODSWORTH flew in and crashed the ball into the net for the first goal. He celebrated with his customary handspring to applause from the Benfield faithful.

 The second half started with the wind getting stronger and also torrential rain which passed after ten minutes. Guisborough to their credit never stopped trying but you could see the gulf in class and this was epitomised in the 70th Minute when Adam Scope switched a long cross field pass to IAN GRAHAM who again took on the fullback and ran square across the penalty area before hitting a twenty five yard low drive into the bottom of the net giving the goalkeeper no chance.

Despite being two goals down Guisborough never gave up trying and put a bit of pressure on the defence but never looked like scoring and this could be seen by the goalkeepers kit being as clean at the end as it was at the beginning.

A good team performance ensures that Benfield went through to the next round away to Shildon.