by MALCOLM PRATT
 
Another  man-of-the-match  performance  by  John Butler swept Ryhope  CW  to  an emphatic  victory  over Ashbrooke Belford House in last night's local  derby  at Silksworth.
 
Butler  headed his side into a 20th-minute lead before Belford House suffered  a double whammy on 35 minutes.
 
Mark Lawton was sent off for a handling offence and Butler converted the penalty leaving Ashbrooke with a mountain to climb.
 
Midway through the second period hot-shot striker Butler completed his hat-trick and  five  minutes  from time capped a memorable performance, scoring  a  fourth goal to take his season's total to 28.
 
Ryhope  stretched their lead over Scarborough Town, who were without a  fixture, to  nine points but chasing clubs Cleator Moor Celtic and Teesside Athletic both won.
 
Celtic  easily  accounted for Windscale in the Cumbrian derby.  Darren  Johnson, Chris Thornton, Glynn Edwards and Barry Irving struck with Lee Dixon Windscale's only marksman.
 
Teesside  Athletic  visited Willington and had the incentive of  a  sixth-minute goal  from  Sam Young. Stephen Thompson quickly doubled the lead and before  the break  Daniel Drazdauskas added to the woes of the home side with a  spectacular overhead kick.
 
With  20  minutes remaining Josh Binks reduced the deficit but  Willington  were unable to add to his effort and remain entrenched at the bottom of the table.
 
Houghton  Town  are sixth from the basement and have now conceded 70 goals,  the most by any side, after leaking eight to rampant Boldon CA.
 
Goalkeeper Daniel Douglas had a busy night, picking the ball out of the net four times  in  each half. Mark Williams rifled a hat-trick, Michael Meek  and  Chris Robertson each bagged a brace with Eric Thompson also on the mark.
 
Andy Appleby scrambled the ball home to give Easington Colliery the lead at home to  Hartlepool but Andy Ross quickly levelled with the best goal of the night, a tremendous shot from outside the penalty area which gave goalkeeper James Winter no chance.
 
In  the second half, Adrian Sanders' shot was deflected wide of keeper Mark Bell and  when he was again on target, there was no way back for Pools who are second from the basement.
 
Jarrow  overwhelmed Guisborough Town HC despite going behind after four  minutes as Philip Poulton steered the ball past goalkeeper Tony Orr.
 
Peter  Kane quickly restored parity but it was not until the second period  that the South Tynesiders got the better of the home team.
 
Their  dominance was rewarded as Kane took his personal tally to four and  goals also stemmed from Chris Lunn, Liam Clark and Tony Chilton to complete a 7-1 win.
 

by MALCOLM PRATT
 
Ryhope CW go marching on at the top of the table and they took their goals tally to an impressive 65 when they hit Houghton Town for five on Saturday.
 
Steve  Patton's  side  though, held their own until the second half and  at  the interval harboured hopes of causing an upset.
 
Once  Ryhope  broke the deadlock, however, it was one-way traffic and the  goals flowed.  Man-of-the-match  John Butler collected a good pass from Jimmy  Farrell and rounded goalkeeper Daniel Hajras on 47 minutes.
 
Five  minutes  later,  Butler set up Richard Jordan who fired  home  from  close range  and  on the hour Butler was again on target following good work by  David Newby.
 
Butler  slotted home from 18 yards to complete his hat-trick and take his  total for  the  season to  24  goals. Just before the end Dean Arkley  scored  with  a stunning solo effort.
 
Ryhope  remain  six  points ahead of Scarborough Town who were also  in  scoring mode at home to Jarrow.
 
Josh  Greening  and  Nathan Cooke had the Seasiders two goals ahead  inside  the opening  half  hour and during the second period Joe Danby, with a  brace,   and Cooke completed a 5-0 rout.
 
Third-top  Cleator  Moor  Celtic  needed just one goal from  Chris  Thornton  to see off a strong challenge from Kirkbymoorside.
 
Bottom-of-the-table  Willington  took  Easington  Colliery to  the  wire  before losing to an 89th-minute goal.
 
When James Huntley was brought down, his brother Rob fired the Colliers in front from  the  penalty  spot but the visitors hit back with an equaliser  from  Josh Binks.
 
With  time  running out Peter Crawford grabbed the winner,  chipping  goalkeeper Chris Sawyer from the edge of the penalty area.
 
Aaron  Robertson  gave Annfield Plain an early advantage but Boldon  CA  quickly equalised  through  Chris  Robinson.  Goals either side of half  time  by  Lewis Harrison earned Plain a 3-1 victory.
 
Coxhoe  Athletic  were two goals in front courtesy of Stephen Oakley  and  Danny O'Brien  but went down to New Marske whose winning goal came deep into  stoppage time.
 
Shaun  Howes  reduced the visitors' deficit and midway through the  second  half Philip  Peggs  levelled. In the 93rd minute Richard Playforth's drive  rebounded from the underside of the crossbar into the net.
 
By  then,  Coxhoe  were  down to 10 men. Substitute  Chris  Mulkerrin,  who  was only introduced in the 86th minute, was sent off in additional time.
 
Guisborough Town HC improved their position with an 85th-minute goal from Junior Masambi in the bottom five clash at Windscale.
 
Silksworth  were  saved  from  making the journey to  Hartlepool  and  the  game between Wolviston and Teesside Athletic was also called off.
 

by MALCOLM PRATT
 
At  last, the Wearside League returned to action on Saturday but only one of the
scheduled nine fixtures went ahead.
 
Ryhope  CW managed to stage their game with Willington and were rewarded with  a
3-0  victory which enabled them to extend their lead at the top of the table  to
six points.
 
Although  in  the end Martin Swales' team coasted home, until they scored  their
second goal it was difficult to decide which team was in pole position and which
one was at the bottom.
 
There  were  chances at both ends before Ryhope went ahead on 25 minutes.  David
Newby  was brought down and Michael Turnbull converted the penalty, beating  the
impressive Chris Sawyer.
 
Ten  minutes  later and any hopes Willington harboured of causing an upset  just
about evaporated.
 
Richie  Jordan received the ball following a short corner, turned in the box and
his  rasping left-foot drive gave Sawyer no chance. It was his 17th goal of  the
season.
 
Following  this second success, Ryhope dominated with Dean Arkley impressive  in
mid-field  but  it was not until the 70th minute that they put the  game  beyond
Willington.
 
Jordan  held  off  his marker but was up-ended and Turnbull stepped  forward  to
convert his second spot kick.
 
The  other  seven  league  fixtures  were called off as  was  the  Second  Round
Sunderland Shipowners' Cup tie at Scarborough Town. Jarrow made the long journey
but just before kick-off the match referee declared the pitch unplayable.