KILLY FAIL MISERABLY IN CUP BID KILLY FAIL MISERABLY IN CUP BID By Bill Gardner On what was probably the worst weekend of an already seriously disrupted local football season only one Northern Alliance side – Killingworth YPC Sporting – saw any action but even they were left disappointed after exiting from the Ideal Stelrad Northumberland FA Minor Cup. Killy’s quarter-final tie away to Blakelaw Crofters Lodge was played out on an artificial surface and the home side, always looking the stronger, emerged as 3-1 victors. Liam Anderson fired Blakelaw in front on the quarter hour but his opener was cancelled out midway through the half by Killingworth’s Daniel Snee. Then just before the interval Blakelaw were reduced to nine men when Steve Matthew and Lee Garwood were both shown the red card. Despite their numerical advantage Killy didn’t look likely to make it count and straight after the break Chris Garwood’s successful spot kick restored Blakelaw’s lead. And in the 80th minute Adrian Sutcliffe was also on target to assure the Crofters of a place in the semi-finals. Three Northern Alliance sides will be aiming for the same target in ties rearranged for next Saturday. Newcastle BT will be entertaining league colleagues Wallsend Town while Cullercoats are at home to Killingworth YPC Town. Quarter-final games in the Northumberland FA Senior Bowl were also all frozen out and have been scheduled again for this weekend. The pairings in this competition are: Alnwick Town v Whitley Bay ‘A’, Ashington Colliers v Wallington, Berwick United v Blyth Town and Cramlington Town v Percy Main. ALL CHANGE AT CARLISLE Another totally blank Saturday as far as league games were concerned simply confirmed that a daunting fixture backlog is now looming. Six months into the campaign there are 29 clubs in the Alliance’s three divisions that haven’t completed half of their games yet and four of them haven’t even reached double figures. While the big freeze continued there was some unrelated turmoil across in Cumbria affecting Premier Division outfit Carlisle City. After a special meeting convened in midweek, club secretary Jack Williamson announced some sweeping changes. Joint managers Paul Pearson and Barry Robinson have been relieved of their duties and ex-goalkeeper Stephen Bellas has been chosen to take over the reins as City’s new team boss. On the playing front Dougie Lindsay, Paul Pearson, Jamie Hubner, Steven Rooke, Stewart Jamieson, Nigel Nichol, Lee McDermott and Jason Henderson have all been de-registered. And Carlisle now intend to bring several of their ex-players back into the fold at Sheepmount. CUP UPDATE Despite there being a backlog of league fixtures to wade through, progress has been steady in Northern Alliance cup competitions. The Longhorn Hardware League Cup is nearing the quarter-final stage with Wark, Harraby Catholic Club, Shankhouse, Seaton Delaval, Hexham and Cullercoats already having booked places in the last eight. With two remaining slots up for grabs, this weekend’s outstanding ties are Heaton Stannington v Stocksfield and Stobswood Welfare v Heddon. In the forthcoming semi-finals of the Bosch Power Tools Challenge Cup in the Premier Division, Gillford Park will be entertaining Blyth Town and Heddon will have home advantage against Seaton Delaval. The Combination Cup, Amateur Cup and Northern Alliance Charity Cup, all sponsored by Pin Point Recruitment, are also well advanced. In the First Division’s Combination Cup the semi-final draw is: Cullercoats v Whitley Bay ‘A’ and Red Row Welfare v Wallington. In the Amateur Cup where Second Division clubs are involved the pairings in this season’s semi-finals will be: Amble United v Amble (a real local derby) and Forest Hall v Benfield Chemfica. Since its recent introduction, the Charity Cup has been hugely successful in raising money for local worthy causes. It’s also proved to be a keenly-contested competition with four teams now bidding for a place in this season’s final. The semi-final matches are Red Row Welfare v Alnwick Town and Newcastle East End v Blyth Town

By Bill Gardner
On what was probably the worst weekend of an already seriously disrupted local football season only one Northern Alliance side – Killingworth YPC Sporting – saw any action but even they were left disappointed after exiting from the Ideal Stelrad Northumberland FA Minor Cup.

Killy’s quarter-final tie away to Blakelaw Crofters Lodge was played out on an artificial surface and the home side, always looking the stronger, emerged as 3-1 victors.
Liam Anderson fired Blakelaw in front on the quarter hour but his opener was cancelled out midway through the half by Killingworth’s Daniel Snee. Then just before the interval Blakelaw were reduced to nine men when Steve Matthew and Lee Garwood were both shown the red card.

Despite their numerical advantage Killy didn’t look likely to make it count and straight after the break Chris Garwood’s successful spot kick restored Blakelaw’s lead. And in the 80th minute Adrian Sutcliffe was also on target to assure the Crofters of a place in the semi-finals.

Three Northern Alliance sides will be aiming for the same target in ties rearranged for next Saturday. Newcastle BT will be entertaining league colleagues Wallsend Town while Cullercoats are at home to Killingworth YPC Town.

Quarter-final games in the Northumberland FA Senior Bowl were also all frozen out and have been scheduled again for this weekend. The pairings in this competition are: Alnwick Town v Whitley Bay ‘A’, Ashington Colliers v Wallington, Berwick United v Blyth Town and Cramlington Town v Percy Main.

ALL CHANGE AT CARLISLE
Another totally blank Saturday as far as league games were concerned simply confirmed that a daunting fixture backlog is now looming. Six months into the campaign there are 29 clubs in the Alliance’s three divisions that haven’t completed half of their games yet and four of them haven’t even reached double figures.
While the big freeze continued there was some unrelated turmoil across in Cumbria affecting Premier Division outfit Carlisle City. After a special meeting convened in midweek, club secretary Jack Williamson announced some sweeping changes.

Joint managers Paul Pearson and Barry Robinson have been relieved of their duties and ex-goalkeeper Stephen Bellas has been chosen to take over the reins as City’s new team boss. On the playing front Dougie Lindsay, Paul Pearson, Jamie Hubner, Steven Rooke, Stewart Jamieson, Nigel Nichol, Lee McDermott and Jason Henderson have all been de-registered. And Carlisle now intend to bring several of their ex-players back into the fold at Sheepmount.

CUP UPDATE
Despite there being a backlog of league fixtures to wade through, progress has been steady in Northern Alliance cup competitions. The Longhorn Hardware League Cup is nearing the quarter-final stage with Wark, Harraby Catholic Club, Shankhouse, Seaton Delaval, Hexham and Cullercoats already having booked places in the last eight. With two remaining slots up for grabs, this weekend’s outstanding ties are Heaton Stannington v Stocksfield and Stobswood Welfare v Heddon.

In the forthcoming semi-finals of the Bosch Power Tools Challenge Cup in the Premier Division, Gillford Park will be entertaining Blyth Town and Heddon will have home advantage against Seaton Delaval.

The Combination Cup, Amateur Cup and Northern Alliance Charity Cup, all sponsored by Pin Point Recruitment, are also well advanced. In the First Division’s Combination Cup the semi-final draw is: Cullercoats v Whitley Bay ‘A’ and Red Row Welfare v Wallington.
In the Amateur Cup where Second Division clubs are involved the pairings in this season’s semi-finals will be: Amble United v Amble (a real local derby) and Forest Hall v Benfield Chemfica.

Since its recent introduction, the Charity Cup has been hugely successful in raising money for local worthy causes. It’s also proved to be a keenly-contested competition with four teams now bidding for a place in this season’s final. The semi-final matches are Red Row Welfare v Alnwick Town and Newcastle East End v Blyth Town.