IT’S STILL POINTLESS FOR PONT

By Bill Gardner
A hundred percent record in three games has installed Carlisle City as clear leaders in the early Premier Division table. But the Cumbrians were fortunate to win 1-0 away to Heddon who seemed to have earned a third successive draw until Scott Priest scored his last minute winner.

Two points behind Carlisle, three teams – Walker Central, Wark and Killingworth Sporting – have all made unbeaten starts and defending champions Walker were convincing 6-1 victors away to Ponteland United.

Walker Central, now managed by Michael Jeffels, are aiming for a third successive Premier Division title and three unbeaten starts in this campaign have been promising.
After ten minutes Pont took the lead when Liam McIvor curled the ball into the centre where Billy Holden headed back across goal into the far top corner. The goal however seemed to inspire Walker with Paul and Ian Mills and David Dormand looking dangerous when in possession.

An equaliser was on the cards and it arrived when a short corner was played in to Ian Mills and his cross cum shot looped into the net at the back post. It was still all square at half time but within ten minutes of the restart the Central were in front. Dormand chased a long clearance before volleying past home keeper Harris-Green.
Ponteland’s Brown and Holden wasted two scoring chances and their misses were very costly. Walker clicked into top gear to bang in another four second half goals. The scorers were Ben Taylor, John Robson and substitute Steve Forster who bagged himself a brace inside the last seven minutes. His double strike inflicted further misery on a dispirited Pont side that suffered their third defeat in a row.

Wark’s impressive start continued with a 3-1 victory away to Murton who had Lee Jarvis scoring after only ten minutes. Just before the interval Tony Lancaster got Wark back on terms and they never looked back. A successful spot kick by Marc Nixon after 67 minutes put them in front and Lancaster’s second goal of the game sealed the points for the visitors.

Premier Division new boys Killingworth Sporting, with two successive divisional titles under their belts, beat hosts Cramlington Town 1-0. The Town were deprived of a deserved share of the spoils, conceding a penalty with two minutes to go which was put away by Killy’s Kevin Grahamslaw.

After their narrow defeat by Walker Central in midweek Heaton Stannington repaired some of the damage by beating Alnwick Town 3-2 at Grounsell Park. Steve Hutchinson’s second minute opener for Alnwick was cancelled out by Heaton’s Ian Irvine before the interval. The home side then forged ahead with further goals for Lawrence McKenna and Eddie Murau and although James Jeffrey scored a second for Alnwick they failed to make any further impression.

Having picked only one point from two opening games Harraby Catholic Club secured a first victory by beating visitors Seaton Delaval 3-0. Steve Archibald scored his third goal in three games to open Harraby’s account. In the second half Delaval pressed for an equaliser but in the latter stages were killed off by strikes by Marc Shiel and Rob Bainbridge for the home side.

Ashington Colliers drew 0-0 at home to Shankhouse while newly promoted Stocksfield were 2-1 victors away to Blyth Town. An own goal by Stocksfield’s Sean Wilkinson presented Blyth with an opener just before the interval but Phil Murray got Stocksfield back on terms midway through the second half when he was put through by Wayne Stewart. Then with ten minutes remaining Jonathan Barrett claimed a winner for the visitors as he headed home from substitute Paddy Finnerty’s cross. And it was third time lucky for Stocksfield who had picked up a point at Alnwick before narrowly losing out at Carlisle in midweek.

DIVISION ONE - GOAL RUSH BY NEWCOMERS
Following their promotion to the First Division, Amble United have started with a bang. The Seasiders are leading the field after obtaining three straight victories and scoring sixteen goals in the process. In midweek an impressive 5-0 home win against Percy Main was claimed with goals by Martin Humble (2), Chris Moffitt (2) and Darren Riddell. And United followed up by beating Cumbrian visitors Northbank three days later. This time their marksmen were Ronnie Warwick (2), Lee Harker, Ian Common, Darren Riddell and Shaun Kelly.

Another two hundred percenters – Gateshead Rutherford and Gosforth Bohemians – are keeping Amble company at the head of the table. Rutherford followed up a 3-2 home win against Durham neighbours Chopwell by surprisingly hammering their next visitors Whitley Bay A 5-1. Ross Greenhill and Mike Jeffares bagged a brace each for Rutherford whose other scorer was Kevin Urwin. The Bay’s token reply came from Alex Matthewson.

Three days after beating Hebburn Reyrolle 4-1 at Benson Park, Gosforth Bohemians claimed another home win when newly-promoted South Shields United were their 3-1 victims. Harry Tulip, Andy Dalton and Danny Sherwood netted for the Bohs in their latest victory with Phil Enlund scoring from the spot in the 85th minute for the losers.

Wallington have made an unbeaten start and are occupying fourth spot in the early First Division table. Michael Freathy scored all four of their goals in their 4-2 midweek home win against Berwick United and was also on target in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle East End in the next game at Scots Gap. The other Wallington scorer was Mike Calder and strikes by Graeme Hunt and Andy Hall allowed the Eastenders to share the spoils.

Four teams – Peterlee Town, South Shields United, Whitley Bay A and Percy Main – have picked up a tidy six points each from their three opening games. Peterlee secured two victories last week in beating hosts Morpeth Sporting Club 6-1 and then winning 2-1 away to Cullercoats. Only a daunting fixture backlog prevented Cullercoats from gaining promotion last term but they’ve made a poor start this time, losing all three of their matches to date. Manager Ken Ellis is demanding a swift improvement.

Percy Main soon recovered from their five-goal reverse up at Amble and their walking wounded recorded their second win, 3-2 away to Morpeth Sporting Club. Only 35 minutes into the game the Villagers had used all three of their permitted substitutes due to injuries.

The Main had taken an early lead through Joe Betts who then set up the chance for Callum Colback to add a second goal after 20 minutes. But Morpeth hit back and Chris Tate got them off the mark before the break with his close range header.

Percy Main restored their two goal cushion within five minutes of the changeover as new signing Chris Locke’s header gave Morpeth goalkeeper Mark Donnelly no chance. Richard Latimer, Morpeth's player-manager, scored his side's second goal but Percy Main held out to claim the points.

Hebburn Reyrolle claimed their first win by beating still pointless visitors Berwick United 5-1 with goals supplied by Chris Morris (2), Jay Telford (2) and Dan Matthews. And Seaton Burn drew 3-3 at home to Chopwell Officials. Ben Green, Matthew Lang (penalty) and Ian Armstrong found the net for the Burn with Chopwell replying through Gareth Powell, Chris Gill and Dave Fitzpatrick.

DIVISION TWO – THREE CLUBS SET THE EARLY PACE
Wallsend Town, Amble and Wideopen & District are sharing top spot in the Second Division with none of them having dropped a point so far. In pole position on goal difference, Wallsend Town beat visitors Tynemouth United 2-1 in midweek although goals for Paul McCutcheon and Lee Summers were a poor reward fore their dominance. And the Town followed up by impressively winning 3-0 away to neighbours Wallsend Boys Club. Ryan Arnott, Stephen Dodd and Nick Anderson scored in this local derby.

Amble finished fourth from bottom last season but have been raising a few eyebrows this time around. They had a successful week, starting with a 3-1 win away to Stobswood Welfare with goals for Wyn Fremlin (2) and Mike Straker. This was followed by a 4-1 win away to Cramlington Blue Star and their marksmen on this occasion were Adam Shanks (2), Straker and Fremlin.

Wideopen and District added six more points to their bundle last week to stay among the early pace-setters. In midweek they beat visitors Hexham 3-2 when goals by Chris Sword, Adam Walker and Gary Lamb just outweighed the strikes of Jamie McNamee and Tommy North for Hexham.

Another home win followed for the Wideopen lads and this time it was a more impressive outcome as they beat fourth-placed Newcastle Chemfica 3-1. Liam Jubb scored twice for the winners whose other marksman was Adam Walker while Chemfica only managed a single reply from Paul Brown and slumped to their first defeat.
League newcomers Swalwell and Cullercoats Custom Planet have both settled in reasonably well and Swalwell won both of their matches last week by identical 4-1 margins. Goals by Craig Robinson (2), Craig Wood and Rob Beverley saw the Swalwell lads see off midweek hosts Willington Quay Saints. And their next victims, this time at Derwenthaugh, were Tynemouth United. Ben Sartain was a lone scorer for a Tynemouth side still seeking its first point and they were sunk by Stuart Rook’s hat-trick for Swalwell who had Chris Smith completing their tally.

Cullercoats Custom Planet were hammered 4-0 in midweek away to Newcastle Chemfica whose scorers were Martin Dixon (hat-trick) and Dean Calvert. But the Planet regained their orbit three days later by winning 6-2 away to Newcastle BT. Nigel Morris (2), Tony Fawcett (2), Liam Graham and Edmund Garrett netted for Cullercoats this time with Greg Hamilton and Mark Shiells replying for BT who are still without a point.

Hexham bounced back from their defeat at Wideopen and hammered Whitley Bay Town 6-1 at Wentworth Park where Luke Parkinson and Tom Phillips claimed two goals each with the others put away by Tom North and Paul McLean whose strike was something special.

This was a second successive 6-1 humbling for Whitley Bay Town after midweek hosts North Shields Athletic had dished up the same treatment with goals by Craig Boyle (hat-trick), Dan Walton, Glen Churchman and Graeme Murray. And in the Shieldsmen’s next game a Churchman penalty earned them a 1-1 draw at home to Forest Hall whose reply came from Tom Jones.

After their humbling at home to Swalwell, Willington Quay Saints picked up their first point from their 2-2 draw with visitors Stobswood Welfare. Goals in each half for Mark Henderson and Dave Smith gave the Saints a clear lead but it was frittered away and the Welfare hit back though Paul Nesbitt and Sean Palmer to earn a share of the spoils.