Wednesday's football January 26

WEARSIDE LEAGUE
by MALCOLM PRATT
 
RYHOPE  CW missed the opportunity to go second in the Wearside League when  they
went down by the only goal to Jarrow.
 
A  hard-fought  game was decided on the hour when Paul Turrell  beat  goalkeeper
Neil Atkinson from inside the penalty area.
 
Ryhope  pressed  for an equaliser in the later stages but failed to find  a  way
through Jarrow's defence which was considerably tighter than at the weekend when
they conceded four goals.
 
Ryhope  remain third, a point behind New Marske whose fixture at Silksworth  was
postponed.
 
Easington  Colliery stretched their lead at the top of the table to three points
with victory over Redcar Athletic.
 
Andy Porritt gave the Teessiders the lead on 38 minutes with a tremendous finish
from  outside the penalty area but the Colliers turned the tables, scoring twice
in four minutes just before the interval.
 
Dale  Crawford blasted a shot into the top corner of the net but the goal of the
match was Chris Tarn's magnificent strike which screamed into the net.
 
Easington  held on for a 2-1 win and were indebted to debutant goalkeeper  Nicky
Lawson  who turned in a man-of-the-match performance following his transfer from
Sunderland RCA.
 
Willington  were  bottom in each of the last two seasons but are now in the  top
half  of the table following a 3-1 win over Wolviston with goals by Paul Thorns,
Jason White and James Seymour. Kallum Hannah replied from the penalty spot.
 
Prudhoe  Town  won  for  the  first  time on Saturday  but  failed  to  make  it
back-to-back wins when Stockton Town emerged 3-1 victors.
 
Joe  Hinchley, Scott Meehan and Jamie May were the matchwinners with Kevin Dixon
(pen) on target for Prudhoe.
 
The  Cumbrian  derby ended all square. Barry Irving and Gary George had  Cleator
Moor  Celtic  ahead until the 80th minute before Kevin Holliday and  Luke  Smith
rescued a point for Windscale.
 

Saturday's football January 22

WEARSIDE LEAGUE By MALCOLM PRATT
 
RYHOPE  CW reached the final of the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup with victory  over Redcar Athletic in the match of the day on Saturday.
 
Following  a poor start to the season, Redcar's form has been impressive and the Wearsiders knew they faced a difficult challenge.
 
But  they rose to the occasion and goals by John Butler (pen) and Jamie Lee (og) saw them home after Richie Playforth had given the home side the lead.
 
Martin  Swales' side will meet Kirkbymoorside, surprise winners over New  Marske who have led the table for most of the season.
 
The  Seasiders were rocked, however, when Ryan Rivis and Robert McDermott struck and it was not until the 87th minute that Sean Mackin replied.
 
Easington  Colliery moved into pole position although they could only share  the points in a six-goals thriller with Darlington Cleveland Bridge.
 
Fortunes  ebbed  and flowed all afternoon with Danny McLachlan,  Michael  Carter (pen)  and Christian Holliday on target for the Bridge with Barry Turton (2) and Chris Tarn responding.
 
Ashbrooke  Belford  House remain fourth behind New Marske and Ryhope CW  despite losing for the second time in  a week.
 
Michael   Weston   (2),  Adam  Blenkinsopp  and  Danny  Lee  were   Willington's match-winners with Lee Andrews and David Baxter on the mark for the Wearsiders.
 
Prudhoe  Town  had not won in 19 games but finally celebrated  against  Houghton Town.  Richard Bissessur and Michael Pooley were the marksmen.
 
Jarrow  defeated  Annfield  Plain in an amazing game at Perth Green.  The  hosts looked  home and dry when they led by five goals at the interval thanks to Peter Kane (2), Paul Turrell (2) and Chistie Elliott.
 
Plain's  fightback  started immediately following the interval and  they  clawed their  way  back to 5-4 with strikes from Roy Gordon, Dominic Elliott, Dean  Lee and Lee Kirkbride.
 
Indeed, the scores would have been level had Elliott not failed with a penalty.
 
All  the pressure was on Jarrow and it was only relieved when Liam Clark  scored to make the final tally 6-4.
 
Boldon  CA  crashed  4-0  at  Wolviston whose hero  was  Kallum  Hannah  with  a hat-trick.  Paul Vickers was their other marksman.
 
An  only goal by Gavin Wilcox after 10 minutes was sufficient for Stockton  Town who won a poor game at Hartlepool.
 

Wednesday's football January 19

WEARSIDE LEAGUE by MALCOLM PRATT
 
EASINGTON Colliery and Ryhope CW closed in on Wearside League leaders New Marske when they both enjoyed comfortable victories last night.
 
The  Colliers  proved to be too strong for third-bottom Silksworth  although  it was not until the second period that the Wearsiders wilted.
 
Chris  Tarn  opened the scoring and thereafter it was all Easington  as  further goals flowed from Barry Turton (pen), Adam McGuinness and Andy Hall.
 
Easington  are  second, just a point behind New Marske with three games in  hand while  Ryhope  CW remain third. Although equal on points with the Colliers  they have played three games more than their rivals.
 
Nathan  Johnson tapped in past goalkeeper Dean Caris to give Ryhope a  half-time lead  at  Houghton  Town and it was not until the last six minutes  that  Martin Swales' side made certain of the points.
 
Chris  Trewick  doubled  his  team's lead on 84 minutes  and  in  stoppage  time Jordan Henderson completed a 3-0 victory.
 

Saturday's football January 15

WEARSIDE LEAGUE By MALCOLM PRATT
 
EASINGTON  Colliery are on course for a double after comfortably seeing off  the challenge from Stockton Town in the Wearside League Cup on Saturday.
 
The Teessiders  held their high-flying opponents until early in the second  half but  once  Barry  Turton slid the ball into the net, Colliers took  control  and were never troubled.
 
Adam  McGuinness stretched the lead and shortly before the end Turton was  again on target.
 
Ryhope  CW were also on cup duty and eased past 10-man Jarrow in the  Sunderland Shipowners' Competition.
 
It  was  not  a good day for Jarrow's two debutants who had waited so  long  for their first outings.
 
Goalkeeper  Chris  Hope was beaten on 25 minutes with a John Butler  header  and Nick Pain headed into his own goal shortly afterwards.
 
Worse  was to follow for the visitors when Mark Brocklehurst was shown a  second yellow card five minutes before the interval.
 
The  three  leading sides were on cup duty with Marske United going out  of  the North Riding County Cup but Ashbrooke Belford House failed to narrow the gap.
 
They  remain  fourth after surprisingly going down to Boldon CA who  arrived  at Silksworth with just two wins from 18 games.
 
Tommy  Dobbing's side was on the back foot from the start following Shaun Reay's early  strike.  Michael Meek doubled the lead and Reay again struck before  Ryan Steel claimed what was no more than a consolation for the hosts.
 
Silksworth  produced a spirited performance but lost by the odd goal in three at Hartlepool.
 
Stephen  Thomas converted a penalty before Anthony Rogerson deservedly levelled. The  result  was very much in the balance but it was Pools who came out  on  top with a winning goal by Andy Ross.
 
Houghton  Town  jumped  two places and are now seventh from the  basement  after their narrow win at Willington where Ben Maddison scored the only goal.
 
A  hat-trick by Dominic Elliott was the feature of Annfield Plain's victory over Coxhoe  Athletic.  Stephen Kirkbride also found the net with Philip  Bulmer  and Dan Hatton on the mark for the South Durham side.
 
Switching the fixture to Prudhoe Town did not deter Wolviston who easily claimed the  points courtesy of Kallum Hannah (2) and Ryan Hebb. Prudhoe remain  bottom, still without a win following 19 attempts.
 

Wednesday's football January 12

WEARSIDE League
by MALCOLM PRATT
 
SILKSWORTH  almost  upset  the form book in last night's Wearside  League  derby
with Ryhope CW but had to settle for a 3-3 draw.
 
Gary  Tyzack blasted the ball into the net on five minutes and 10 minutes  later
set up Andrew Place for Silksworth's second goal.
 
Ryhope  quickly  reduced  the deficit through Chris Trewick  and  in  first-half
stoppage time, John Butler levelled with a well directed header.
 
Ryhope  were  reduced to 10 men and the home side took advantage, regaining  the
lead with a Michael Renshaw header after good work by Jonathan Fox.
 
Despite  their numerical disadvantage the visitors hit back and restored  parity
20  minutes  from time as Mark Davison's effort rebounded from the underside  of
the crossbar into the net.
 
Ryhope   remain  third-top,  equal  on  points  with  Easington  Colliery  while
Silksworth stay third-bottom.
 

Saturday's football January 8


WEARSIDE League
by MALCOLM PRATT
 
FOLLOWING  six  weeks  of  inactivity, four games went  ahead  on  Saturday  but
another five were postponed.
 
Houghton  Town failed to celebrate a return to action, losing their bottom-seven
clash with Stockton Town at Leyburn Grove.
 
David  Johnson was the Teessiders' scoring hero as he twice beat goalkeeper Dean
Caris in the opening 45 minutes.
 
The  result  leaves Houghton fifth-from-bottom but well clear of  basement  side
Prudhoe Town.
 
A  stoppage-time  goal by Michael Meek gave Boldon CA's result at  Hartlepool  a
measure of respectability.
 
Until  he  struck, the South Tynesiders were trailing by three goals  and  never
really threatened the home side.
 
Carl  Wood  pounced  on  a rebound to give Pools a first-minute  lead  and  soon
afterwards,   Stephen   Chapman  capitalised  as  17-year  old  debutant   Craig
Hutchinson's shot was parried by goalkeeper Lee Jackson.
 
The South Tynesiders hit back, reducing their deficit through Chris Robinson who
was perfectly placed for a simple tap-in after nine minutes.
 
It  was  mostly  Hartlepool, however, and in the 12th minute Wood  restored  his
side's two-goals cushion with a shot-come-cross which eluded Jackson.
 
Four  goals flowed in the first 12 minutes but it was not until the 37th  minute
that  Chapman went past several defenders before crashing the ball into the roof
of the net.
 
Pools  went  in  4-1 ahead and could easily have added more  goals  as  Chapman,
Stephen  Thomas and Johnny Bolton all hit the woodwork before Meek struck at the
other end.
 
Redcar  Athletic made a poor start to the season, claiming just seven points out
of  a possible 21 but they started where they left off when they defeated fifth-
top Darlington Cleveland Bridge.
 
A poor first half produced few openings but the game sprang to life four minutes
into the second period when Jamie Lee netted from six yards.
 
The  Bridge battled back and threatened to upset Redcar's promotion  aspirations
but  five minutes from time Billy Millington produced a wonderful 20-yard  drive
to  secure  three  crucial  points for the Seasiders.
 
Redcar  have gained 25 points from their last nine games and are now in the  top
six for the first time this season.
 
Only  one  of  the  three  scheduled Wearside League cup  ties  went  ahead  and
following  a closely-fought game, Silksworth went out to Willington after  extra
time.
 
Shaun  Golightly  gave the Wearsiders an interval lead but early in  the  second
period Michael Weston levelled.
 
There  were  chances  for  both sides to clinch victory but the  tie  went  into
additional  time  and Willington secured their place in the second round with  a
late winner from James Seymour.