Northern Alliance Round-up 22/12/12

Wooler boss Barry Guthrie was still pulling on his boots and played in the side that were beaten finalists in the Northumberland FA Minor Cup back in 2001.

He fielded a number of youngsters and wasn’t too disappointed as a last minute extra time winner from North Shields Athletic reserves defender Brian Dunn handed them a third-round knock-out.

The game had been postponed three times and eventually went ahead on the plastic surface at Whitley Bay in the lashing rain.

“We were beaten 2-0 by University of Northumbria in the 2001 Final but they deserved to win and I enjoyed the game in front of a big crowd,” said Guthrie.

Any hopes of another run to the final this season took a blow as the Tyneside Amateur League Second Division side led 2-0 at the break.

Goals from Tom Martin and Mark Forrest got Wooler right back in it and took the game to another 30 minutes under the floodlights.

“I had to make a lot of changes due to injuries and suspensions, but the lads that came in did well and now we’re looking to kick-on in the League,” he said.

Meanwhile Grainger Park Boys Club manager Paul Harding praised the performance of referee Foyez Uddin after an end-to-end encounter in torrential conditions at the Gateshead Stadium 3G pitch.

The Scotswood-based side advanced into the last 16 – and a meeting with First Division Gosforth Bohemians – after extra time as they battled back from two goals down against Heddon St Andrews to take the tie.

Robert Jefferson led the way with a hat-trick while Dwayne Murray netted twice. Kirk Fleming, Shaun Sager and Chrissie Robinson were also on target as the avoided a potential banana-skin against their Newcastle Corinthians League opponents.

The wet weather put paid to the rest of the Pin Point Recruitment Northern Alliance fixtures.

Northern Alliance Round Up 15/12/12

A combination of both rain and frost left the vast majority of Northern Alliance pitches unplayable – and added to the scheduling headache for the fixtures secretaries.

Birtley Saint Joseph’s struck three times in the first half as they went to the top of Division Two in the one League game that did get played.

Martin Guy hammered in the opener against Longbenton in the 20^th minute and Damien Stevens made it two eight minutes later as he latched onto James Bowman’s through ball and rounded the keeper before sliding home.

Tony Smith’s powerful drive rounded things off five minutes before the break and put St Joseph’s level on points with promotion rivals North Shields Athletic, but leading thanks to their superior goal difference.

New Fordley overcame a tricky Northumberland FA Minor Cup tie at Belford with goals from Zak Tully (2), Louis Boddy and Andrew Waugh while Mark Harmieson gave Seaton Burn the lead against Newcastle Chemfica inside 60 seconds with a 20 yard drive.

Chris Homans levelled and Steve McLaughlin struck to turn things around for last season’s finalists.

But Seaton Burn fought back and Andrew Bennett hit an equaliser before Phil Bone grabbed the winner before half time.

Graeme King and Craig Robson’s strikes proved not enough for Gateshead Redheugh as they were beaten 4-2 by Counden & Leeholme Youth in the Durham FA Trophy quarter final.

Northern Alliance Round Up 8/12/12

Only two Northern Alliance League games in Division Two beat the winter conditions, with the majority of the fixture list wiped out - but those two fixtures saw an amazing TWENTY THREE goals scored.

Birtley Saint Joseph’s went into second spot with a 14-0 drubbing of Swalwell, with striker Damien Stevens leading the way with a six goal haul.

Anthony Smith (2), Dan Waller (2), James Bowman, Jamie Dixon, Dan Irving and sub Lee Cuthbertson all got in on the act as Saint Joseph’s ran riot.

Wideopen struck five times to win a nine-goal thriller at Longbenton and move up into fourth spot.

Andrew Shaw grabbed a double and he was joined on the scoresheet by Craig Duncan, David Gabbitas and Leigh Shickle while Longbenton’s hit-men were carl Clarke (2), Anthony Brown and David Hetherington.

Scott Robson netted a hat-trick in Hexham’s 7-2 Northumberland FA Minor Cup victory over FOWS Diggers.

Stuart Brown, Luke Parkinson, Thomas North and Liam Heenan grabbed the others.

Red House Farm’s Patrick Collins, Roi Tinknell, Paul Newton-Eddy, Jack Bell and Adam Steinmetz all netted as they went into Round Four with a 5-2 win over Blyth Isabella, who had Kris Allington and Jake Miller on target while nervy Alnwick Town Reserves suffered a derby defeat as they crashed out 4-1 at home to North Sunderland. Stephen Hogg scored, but it was scant consolation for gutted manager Andrew Atkinson after one of their worst displays of the season.

Northern Alliance Round Up 1/12/12

With most of the Northern Alliance programme on ice due to the frosty conditions, Walker Central moved up to eighth spot in the Premier Division with a goal in each half at Percy Main.

James Mottram netted the opener direct from a corner and James Walker added number two from the penalty spot after Dean Morgan had tripped Mottram in the box.

Strikes from Craig Stafford and mark Race put Bedlington Terriers Reserves back on top of Division One as they took the points at Willington Quay Saints. Kane Chirnside netted for the home team.

Damien Stevens latched onto a goalkeeping error to shoot Birtley Saint Joseph’s ahead against Alston and Tony Smith crashed in the second from outside the box in the second half. The win moved St. Joes up to third.

Doubles from Kurran Dhugga and Jake Salisbury helped Newcastle Uni into the fourth round of the Northumberland FA Minor Cup – but they were made to work hard for the win by a dogged Cramlington United side.

Dave Mifsud and an own goal completed the Students haul, with Callum Nixon, Niall Young, Ryan Waite and Ian Doughan all netting for United in the ten goal thriller.

There was more excitement at New York, where Wideopen blew a 5-1 lead before winning 7-5 in extra time.

Despite going behind, Wideopen smashed in five times up to the hour – then took their foot off the gas and three goals in the last ten minutes made it all square. The Second Division side breathed a sigh of relief with two goals in the first period of extra time.

Chris Sword (2), Shickle (2), Robert Edwardson, Thomas McGregor and Will Nutman were the scorers in a thrilling tie.