WEARSIDE LEAGUE
by MALCOLM PRATT

EASINGTON Colliery stretched their lead at the top of the Wearside League to
nine points but their game with Jarrow was marred with only four minutes
remaining.

Jarrow's Lee Smith had only been on the field 10 minutes when he suffered a
suspected broken leg and was taken by ambulance to hospital.

There was a 20-minute delay before the Colliers emerged 1-0 winners thanks to
Adam McGuinness's fierce shot after only eight minutes.

Houghton Town played 88 minutes with 10 men and almost the entire second half
with just nine. It wasn't surprising therefore, that they crashed to a 5-0
defeat against Hartlepool at Leyburn Grove.

Mark Catchside was red-carded after two minutes following an off-the-ball
incident and two minutes later Shaun Ross converted a penalty.

Further goals followed from Ian Purvis, Steve Chapman and Ross to leave Houghton
with a mountain to climb at the halfway stage.

They made three substitutions during the interval and early in the second
period, Brad Freeman was injured and took no further part in the game.

Despite being two men short, Houghton did not concede a fifth goal until just
before the end when Chapman struck for a second time.

Silksworth were the latest side to feel Kirkbymoorside's scoring prowess. The
Yorkshiremen put 10 goals past Prudhoe Town at the weekend and scored three on
their visit to Wearside.

Tom Ellis steered the ball wide of goalkeeper Anthony Mustard after 15 minutes
before two goals in the five minutes immediately before the interval ended
Silksworth's hopes.

Rob McDermott latched onto a long ball over the defence and gave Mustard no
chance and Martin Cooper hit a tremendous 25-yard shot which crashed into the
net.

Ryhope CW progressed in the Wearside League Cup following a five-goals thriller
with Annfield Plain.

Dean Lee fired the visitors in front and on the stroke of half time Clayton
Davis levelled.

Early in the second period Martin Metcalfe pounced on a defensive blunder to
give Ryhope the lead only for Stephen Kirkbride to restore parity on 70 minutes.

With time running out, Metcalfe hit the winner from inside the six-yard box.

Willington are the most improved side this season and they went through against
Redcar Athletic who have now lost their last four games.

Mikey Weston and Jason White were the scorers in a 2-0 win at Hall Lane.