Bishop Auckland 1-2 Whickham: Two goals, in two minutes secures Lang Jacks’ three points on the road

Whickham FC returned to winning ways after coming from one-nil behind in a quickfire comeback away to Bishop Auckland, thanks to goals from Zak Atkinson and Declan Bisset.

The hosts took the lead with less than half-an-hour left to play when Billy Harland met a Lucas Pilling cross at the near post.

Bishop’s lead only lasted five minutes when Atkinson equalised in the 68th minute.

Within the space of a minute, Bisset had turned the game on its head when he put the ball in the back of the net.

Bishop Auckland struggled to get any momentum after the second goal which sealed victory for the visiting Whickham.

Mark Fitzpatrick missed out on the fixture due to injury, with Dale Burrell coming back into the lineup in midfield and Alex Francis returns to the squad for the first time since last season due to his long-term injury.

The visitors had the first chance of the game, when Atkinson broke away down the right-wing before the ball was cut back to the edge of the box where the passer, Conor Newton, blazed his shot over the bar after five minutes.

The home side best chance of the half came 10 minutes before the break when Luke Chapman beat the offside trap but his powerful effort was well stopped by Matthew Wilkinson.

Mark Convery’s side nearly nicked the lead on the stroke of half-time when an inswinging corner was headed goalwards by Scott Robson with the ‘keeper unable to hold onto the ball, Atkinson reacted to the spilled ball but he couldn’t flick the ball into the net.

Billy Harland then gave Bishop the lead a few minutes after the hour mark when Lucas Pilling’s whipped cross was met by the front post run from the striker who  sidefooted the ball past Wilkinson.

Five minutes later, Atkinson levelled the scores after Scott Robson burst down the left-flank and pulling the ball back to the forward who stroked the ball home past the outsrteched Nicholas Liversedge.

A minute later Bisset turned the game on its head when Atkinson turned provider on the right-wing, picking out the midfielder inside the area where the youngster slid the ball past the ‘keeper.

in the 74th minute Scott Robson had a chance to double the Lang Jacks’ lead when he broke through one-on-one but the goalkeeper stopped his low driven shot with his legs.

A late corner scramble chance for the hosts was the only decent chance late on for the Blues but Whickham held on the three points.

Starting XI (4-3-3): M. Wilkinson, T. Howard, M. Hoganson, K. Galbraith, B. Milburn, K. Downey (D. Bisset (60′), D. Burrell, C. Newton, S. Robson, J. Robson (L. Doyle 71′), Z. Atkinson (G. Priest 87′)

Unused Substitutes: F. Martindale, A. Francis

Man of the Match: Kieran Galbraith