by MALCOLM PRATT
 
Ashbrooke  Belford House gained ample revenge for an early-season defeat at  the
hands  of  local rivals Silksworth when they enjoyed a six-goals romp  with  the
Colliers on Saturday.
 
Steven  Smith's side were on the back foot from the kick-off. Dale Wells  headed
past  Anthony Mustard after just five minutes and in the 20th minute  Silksworth
suffered a double blow.
 
Gary  Tyzack  was sent off and Peter Benson converted the penalty. Worse was  to
follow  and  when  Tommy Dobbing's team were awarded a  second  spot-kick,  once
again Benson made no mistake.
 
Just  before  the interval Paul Robertson made it four and  although  Silksworth
did  not  concede another goal for 40 minutes, late strikes from Chris  Charlton
and  Martin  Deacon,  with  the goal of the game,  sent  Ashbrooke's  fans  into
raptures.
 
Belford  House  moved into fifth position and Ryhope CW's lead over  Scarborough
Town is now 10 points after their game at Guisborough Town HC was called off.
 
The Seasiders though, with three games in hand on the Wearsiders, had their work
cut out before defeating lowly Windscale.
 
Joel  Ramm  was  a first-half scorer but when Nathan Cook was sent  off  on  the
hour, Scarborough were forced to defend.
 
Windscale  failed to make the best use of their chances and Josh Greening  fired
in  a  second  goal for the home side. The Cumbrians also went down  to  10  men
with the dismissal of Ryan Fitzwilliam just before the end.
 
Jarrow  did  the leading pair some good when they surprisingly routed  third-top
Cleator Moor Celtic in Cumbria.
 
Christopher  Moore  and  Tony Ord each bagged a brace of goals and  Liam  Clarke
also struck in a decisive 5-0 victory.
 
Teesside  Athletic,  who together with Scarborough and Easington  Colliery  have
applied  for  promotion, enhanced their chances with an easy victory  at  Coxhoe
Athletic.
 
Billy  Millington,  Dale  Mendum and James Kesterton just about had  the  points
secured at the interval and late in the game, Mendum was again on target.
 
After  conceding  a 10th-minute lead to Shaun Gregory, who has just returned  to
Wolviston,  Boldon  CA produced a spirited second-half fight-back  which  earned
them a 3-1 victory.
 
Chris  Robertson  levelled  and after Shaun Heads put the  South  Tynesiders  in
front, Michael Meek added to his goal-scoring exploits.
 
Hartlepool  won the bottom two clash at Willington by a comfortable 5-2  margin.
 
Daniel  Corbett  (2) and Kyle McDermott had them three goals up inside  half  an
hour.  Dane Irving (pen) struck for the Hall Lane team but Corbett completed his
hat-trick before the interval.
 
Anthony  Davis  took his team's total to five and although Scott  Hastie  struck
late  in  the game, his goal was no more than a consolation for  Willington  who
now trail Pools by five points.
 
Ryan  Rivis  bagged a brace of goals in Kirkbymoorside's 2-2 draw with  Annfield
Plain whose marksmen were Dominic Elliott and John Clarke (pen).
 
In  addition  to Ryhope's game being postponed, Houghton Town's fixture  at  New
Marske was also called off.
 

by MALCOLM PRATT
 
Ryhope CW had cause for a double celebration on Saturday.
 
Not  only did they increase their lead at the top of the table to 13 points, but they  became the leading scorers with 77 goals when they hit Coxhoe Athletic for seven at Recreation Park.
 
Paul  Laverick's  side  were on the back foot almost from the  start  as  Ryhope raced into a two-goals lead through Martin Metcalfe and a John Butler penalty.
 
Before  the  interval, Butler was again on target and there was no  respite  for Coxhoe in the second half either.
 
Greg  Swansbury  scored  his first goal in four seasons, James Farrell  made  it five  and  hotshot  striker Butler struck twice in the last 20 minutes  to  take his tally in the game to four goals.
 
Scarborough   Town,   whose  Sunderland  Shipowners'  Cup  tie  at  Jarrow   was postponed, stay second and have four games in hand on Ryhope.
 
Houghton  Town  will be optimistic that their season is on the turn  after  they conceded just one goal to promotion hopefuls Teesside Athletic.
 
A  third-minute penalty by James Kesterton gave the home side a dream start  but Steve   Patton's  team  battled  back  and  fully  deserved  their   67th-minute equaliser from Kevin Gordon.
 
Easington  Colliery's promotion prospects received a setback at lowly  Windscale for  whom  player manager Matthew Henney has improved results since  his  recent appointment.
 
It  was  Henney  who opened the scoring in the 50th minute and  he  should  have made  it  two  a few minutes later. The Cumbrians though were not to  be  denied and Shaun Pollen ended the Colliers' hopes with his late strike.
 
Ashbrooke  Belford  House  came back from a two-goals deficit in  their  fixture with  Wolviston  which  was  switched to Silksworth because  Metcalfe  Park  was waterlogged.
 
Paul  Ambrose and Scott Meehan had Wolviston two goals up inside 25 minutes  and after  Peter Benson threw Ashbrooke a lifeline on the stroke of half time,  Dale Wells restored parity with a 35-yard piledriver.
 
Michael  Meek  was  again  in superb form leading Boldon CA to  a  6-0  rout  of Guisborough Town HC.
 
Surprisingly,  however,  it  was  not until the 43rd minute  that  Tony  Renwick opened  the  scoring but in a frenetic 17 minutes early in the second half,  the South Tynesiders struck five times.
 
Man-of-the-match  Meek rifled four goals with Kris Robertson adding to the  woes of Guisborough who have now leaked 72 goals.
 
Willington  have  conceded 77 times after being hit with a seven-goals blitz  by third-top Cleator Moor Celtic at Hall Lane.
 
Robert  Fowler, Chris Thornton and Glynn Edwards each bagged a brace with  Craig Scott also on target for Celtic who are equal on points with Scarborough.
 
Hartlepool  marginally  improved  their position second from  bottom  when  they claimed  a  point  from Kirkbymoorside whose marksmen were Uyieinai  and  Johnny Brown.   Craig  Lobb  and  Danny  Corbett  replied  for  Pools  for  whom  Chris Birbeck missed a 39th-minute penalty.
 
The game between New Marske and Annfield Plain was called off.
 

by MALCOLM PRATT
 
Despite the lack of goals, Houghton Town and Silksworth produced an entertaining
game in the Wearside League.
 
Houghton  failed  to take their chances and almost paid the penalty just  before
the end as Andy Place hit the post.
 
Shaun  Robinson was again in form for Houghton and he has now kept clean  sheets
in the two games he has played since returning to the club.
 
Easington  Colliery's  match with New Marske was postponed because half  of  the
pitch was frozen and the other part waterlogged.
 

by MALCOLM PRATT
 
Steven  Smith  and David Steel took over the management of Silksworth  in  early December and after losing at Windscale less than 24 hours after being appointed, had to wait until Saturday for their next game.
 
It  was  the Colliers' 350th match and there were celebrations all  round  when they won a nine-goals thriller against Guisborough Town HC.
 
The  home side made a dream start going in front through Anthony Rogerson in the first  minute  and by the interval they were four goals ahead following  further strikes by Andrew Place (2) and Scott Walker.
 
Guisborough  reduced  the deficit courtesy of Paul Millwards and Junior  Masambi but Rogerson was again on target to take his side's tally to five goals.
 
Masambi  again  found  the net but Silksworth finished strongly  and  ended  6-3 winners with David Baker's late effort.
 
Houghton  Town  conceded  eight goals in their previous game and  manager  Steve Patton demanded an immediate response at Wolviston.
 
He was not disappointed. His side kept a clean sheet and an only goal from Kevin Gordon enabled Houghton to erase the memories of their recent form.
 
Ryhope  CW conceded two points at Windscale who led courtesy of Dan Gullen until 10  minutes from time. Glen Moan equalised and the Wearsiders are now 10  points ahead of Scarborough Town, who have three games in hand.
 
Fifth-placed  Ashbrooke Belford House came from behind to win at  Kirkbymoorside who led thanks to Damon Cox.
 
Paul  Robertson  levelled with a thunderous free kick and a minute from the  end David Christie forced the ball home in a goalmouth melee.
 
Willington  moved off the bottom with victory at Coxhoe Athletic, who are  third from  the basement. Lewis Garvie and John Shields netted for the Hall Lane  side with Paul Bulmer keeping Coxhoe in the game until the final whistle.
 
Boldon  CA  scored eight times in their previous game but were on the  receiving end  of  an  8-1 rout by Scarborough Town in the Second Round  of  the  Wearside League Cup.
 
Josh  Greening, with a hat-trick, Luke Jenkinson (2), Neil Waterfield, Joel Ramm and Mark Barber  all struck for Boro with Eric Thompson Boldon's only marksman.
 
Teesside  Athletic went out of the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup 4-2 on penalties at Cleator Moor Celtic who twice led through Barry Irving and Lee Dunn.
 
A  brace from James Kesterton kept Athletic in the tie which went to extra  time before penalties decided the outcome.