WHITLEY CRUISE INTO SEMIS

By Bill Gardner

For the second week running the Northern Alliance programme was almost completely wiped out by the weather with concerns growing about a possible fixture backlog.

The only game played was at Hillheads where Whitley Bay ‘A’ entertained their First Division promotion rivals and current league leaders Stocksfield in a quarter-final tie of the Pin Point Recruitment Combination Cup.

Whitley, the most prolific scoring machine in the league’s First Division along with Cullercoats, lived up to their free-scoring reputation by beating their Tyne Valley visitors 7-3.

Bruce Hogg and Dean Porter bagged a brace each for the Bay in this ten-goal thriller and their other marksmen were Gavin Hattrick, Darren Reay and Daniel Iredale. Stocksfield’s replies came from Wayne Stewart, Anthony MacDonald and Phil Murray but they can’t have envisaged this type of set-back.

Whitley’s convincing victory earned them a semi-final slot away to Cullercoats in the Combination Cup on Saturday 21st February when the other tie will involve Red Row Welfare entertaining Wallington.

Meanwhile, Wallington’s first round home tie against Premier Division opponents Carlisle City in the Longhorn Hardware League Cup suffered a third postponement and has been rescheduled for next Saturday – weather permitting. The winners are due to be at home to Stocksfield in the second round with games having been reduced to instalments because of the weather.

So far only Wallsend Town, Heddon, Walker Central, South Shields United, Amble United and Seaton Delaval are though to the League Cup’s third round stage. Most of the outstanding games will hopefully be played on the last Saturday before Christmas and are: Cramlington Town v Hexham; Forest Hall v Stobswood Welfare; Harraby Catholic v Northbank;
Newcastle University v Benfield Chemfica; Peterlee Town v Wideopen & District;
Wallington or Carlisle City v Stocksfield; Wallsend Boys’ Club v Heaton Stannington;
Wark v Amble and Whitley Bay Town v Cullercoats.

Apart from the League Cup log jam the Northern Alliance’s other main competitions have progressed smoothly. Along with the Combination Cup the Bosch Power Tools Challenge Cup and the Pin Point Recruitment Amateur Cup have both reached the semi-final stage with ties due in February. The Challenge Cup draw in the Premier Division is: Gillford Park v Blyth Town and Heddon v Seaton Delaval. And in the Second Division’s Amateur Cup the semi-final pairings are Amble United v Amble, a real local derby, and Forest Hall v Benfield Chemfica.

TOO MANY CLUBS DEPRIVED OF ACTION
County Cup games are giving Northern Alliance fixture secretaries Derek Booth and George Davison a few extra headaches as the winter weather takes it’s toll. Most of the Northumberland FA Minor Cup games stalled last weekend with thirteen Alliance clubs involved. These rearranged games will take precedence this Saturday along with Gateshead Rutherford’s home tie against Brandon British Legion in the Durham Trophy and South Shields United’s visit to Hendon in the Durham Minor Cup.

Things have been progressing slowly this season as far as league fixtures have been concerned if the Winter proves to be severe then there will be worries about completing fixtures.

Four months into the campaign and with the passing of eighteen available Saturdays there are 24 clubs in the Alliance’s three divisions that haven’t reached a double figure total of league games played so far.

In the Premier Division, Harraby Catholic Club and Newcastle University have been the worst affected although Walker Central and Ashington Colliers will also have some catching-up to do. The First Division’s main laggards through no fault of their own are Killingworth YPC who have played only six league games to date while another five of their colleagues have managed only seven games each. With fewer member clubs the Second Division position isn’t as serious, although Tynemouth United, Stobswood Welfare and Amble FC may face a busy schedule when the lighter nights return.