BUCS GW1: 1s back with a bang, 2s battle for a draw

Wednesday 15th October 2025

Durham (1s) v Northumbria: 14:00 (a)

Written by Rory Edwards

After losing to Northumbria four times last year, including on the final day when they pipped us to the league, this BUCS fixture was a big one.

We went into the game in good form from the Northern League and with a real buzz around the group about the season ahead.

However the prep for the game was far from ideal. Missing kit meant Loosemore had to drive all the way from Durham with the spares, and I somehow managed to remove everyone from the BUCS Play website on the way there, not my finest couple of hours.

Moving on to the game, it was a scrappy start on a bobbly, caged astro, with both sides going quite direct early on to try and nick the opener.

Thankfully, the two birthday boys, Thomas Boothroyd and Charlie Bramwell, linked up as Brammers played a ball in behind that Boothy tucked away nicely to put us 1-0 up early on.

The game continued in a similarly scrappy fashion, but we had the better share of chances with Phil Kay and Thomas Boothroyd causing problems on the break. Their keeper made a few big stops to keep it 1-0 at half time, while their only real chance came from a free kick which Patrick Dixon dealt with well.

Half time Durham (1s) 1 - 0 Northumbria

The second half started in similar fashion,  high-energy and end-to-end, before a loose ball from a corner dropped to Chris Wild, who reacted quickest to make it 2-0.

From there, Northumbria pushed to get back into it, but we stayed organised and limited their chances well. During that spell, we won a penalty after some serious shirt-pulling on Elliot Clarke in the box. I put it away to make it 3-0 heading into the final stages, which we saw out with another solid defensive effort.

Full time Durham (1s) 3 - 0 Northumbria

Overall, a really positive start to the BUCS campaign, especially against a side that caused us so many problems last season. There’s still plenty to improve on and a long way to go, but it’s a strong first step as we look ahead to Manchester next week.

There were several standout performances across the pitch, with a clean sheet and some quality moments in possession, but the birthday boy Thomas Boothroyd came away as Man of the Match for his composed finish to open the scoring and his relentless energy  that gave their centre-halves no time to breathe. I deservedly took home Donkey of the Day for removing everyone from BUCS Play, no arguments there.

On the journey home, the new first-team lads rounded things off with a song each, providing good entertainment to finish off a good day and our first BUCS win of the season.

Player of the Match: Tomas Boothroyd

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Durham (2s) vs Newcastle: 17:00 (a)

Written by Finn Rose

The game started evenly, but after about 20 minutes a tangle in the box saw Newcastle awarded a penalty. It looked soft, but the referee pointed to the spot and they tucked it away to go 1–0 up. That seemed to wake us up though as from then on, we were the better side. A ball whipped into the box wasn’t dealt with properly, and it fell nicely to Wooders, who kept his cool and slotted it past the keeper to make it 1–1.

Just before half time, our pressure paid off again. Hamza swung in a brilliant cross from the right and Rory met it perfectly, heading home to put us 2–1 up going into the break, a lead we definitely deserved after finishing the half strong.

Half time Durham (2s) 2 -1 Newcastle

Newcastle came out fast after the restart and caught us early with an equaliser to make it 2–2. Not long after, the ref decided to give another soft penalty, their second of the game and suddenly we were 3–2 down with about 25 minutes left.

The game got messy after that, with the referee seeming to forget he had cards in his pocket. There were a lot of late tackles and stop-start moments, but we kept pushing. Then, right at the death, came the moment we’d been fighting for. A deep cross from the edge of the box was met by Ant, who rose brilliantly to nod it into the far corner and level things up at 3–3.

Full time Durham (2s) 3 - 3 Newcastle

It wasn’t the win we wanted, but the character, fight and togetherness on show were exactly what you want to see on the opening day. A well-earned point and plenty of positives to build on for the coming weeks.

Player of the Match: Finn Rose

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Durham (3s) vs Hull: 13:00 (a)

Written by Noah Head

The 3s kicked off their BUCS campaign with an early 8am meet before making the long three-hour journey down to Hull. We arrived around 11:30 to a compact 3G pitch, knowing we were in for a physical test against Hull’s first team. With many of the squad playing together for the first time, the opening stages were a little disjointed, but once we settled, we began to produce some excellent passages of expansive football.

Unfortunately, despite the possession and build-up play, we struggled to create any clear chances in the final third. Just before half-time, a long throw into the box caused confusion, and a scrappy close-range finish put Hull 1–0 up at the break.

Half time Durham (3s) 0 - 1 Hull

The response after the interval was exactly what we needed. Early in the second half, debutant Ayden marked his first appearance with a composed finish to bring us level at 1–1. However, almost immediately from kick-off, a lapse in concentration allowed Hull to regain the lead and make it 2–1.

Refusing to let heads drop, we fought back again. Sacha came off the bench and made an instant impact, driving past two defenders before squaring the ball perfectly for Oli to head home from close range – 2–2. But just as momentum swung our way, Hull struck for a third time, this one an impressive strike from outside the box that left us with little chance.

The match ended in a frustrating 3–2 defeat, especially given the effort and promising football displayed throughout.

Full time Durham (3s) 2 - 3 Hull

Despite the result, there were plenty of positives to take: strong individual performances, spells of real quality, and a squad that showed character and resilience. If this is the standard we build on, there’s every reason to be optimistic about the season ahead.

Player of the Match: Noah Head