WARK BREAK FREE IN POLE POSITION

By Bill Gardner
After being neck-and-neck with Walker Central for a couple of weeks, Wark have finally claimed pole position and are three points clear of their Tyneside rivals. Wark made it five away wins on the trot by beating Cramlington Town 5-0 and had John Famelton, Mark Campbell and Daniel Carter on target to put them in charge by half time. After the break Tony Lancaster bagged a quick-fire brace to complete the nap hand.

Wark were helped by Walker Central’s 3-1 defeat by Blyth Town which ended the Central’s hundred percent record away from home. Craig Bryce fired the Central into a fifth minute lead which survived for almost an hour. Mark Waugh’s spot kick got Blyth off the mark and they were put in front when Walker’s Kye Walton turned the ball into his own net. Danny Beresford scored a third goal for Blyth who had picked only two points from three previous outings.

Heaton Stannington leapfrogged over Carlisle City into third spot after beating the Cumbrians 4-0 at Grounsell Park. While this was City’s first defeat on their travels, Heaton have emerged as serious title contenders with a useful game in hand. First half goals for Adam Donaghey and Gary Yates rocked the visitors and both players found the net again after the interval with Donaghey’s second being an 80th minute penalty.

Fifth-placed Killingworth Sporting have been regaining some consistency and proved the point by winning 2-0 away to Newcastle University. The Students had beaten highly-rated Walker Central last weekend and Killy had to work hard for these points. Jorge Bollado opened the scoring after fifteen minutes and the same player eased his side’s anxiety when he bagged his second with only five minutes to spare.

Ponteland United’s eight-match unbeaten run has included four draws and another one looked likely when Seaton Delaval visited the Leisure Centre Ground. The match was evenly balanced in the first half with few clear cut chances although Craig Johnson went close for the visitors and Glenn Ford for the hosts saw his downward header well saved by Delaval keeper Frazer Nairn.

Pont had just about shaded the game in terms of possession and after the break they introduced midfielder Paul Hodgson who was ending a lengthy suspension. And he started to drive United forward. The pace of Sean Willis and Billy Holden was causing Delaval some problems and Holden had the best chance of the game. Willis’s goal-bound effort was well saved by keeper Nairn but from the rebound he volleyed the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Delaval however remained in determined mood and their best chance of the second half fell to Stephen Anderson but his header from Stephen Torre’s excellent cross just cleared the bar. With ten minutes remaining Willis got clear for Pont but was cut down in the penalty area. He got up to beat Nairn with his spot kick to end the deadlock.

Jeff Fuller came on as a substitute for Delaval but his time on the field was very brief and he was sent off for violent retaliation. And although five minutes of stoppage time were added, Pont saw out the game safely with Glenn Ford and Anthony Anzevui looking solid at the back.

Stocksfield secured only their second home win with a narrow 4-3 victory over strugglers Heddon who remain on the bottom rung. Ben Pearson completed a hat-trick for the winners whose other scorer was Wayne Stewart. Ian McElroy (2) and Dan Robinson replied in vain for Heddon.

Both Alnwick Town and visitors Harraby Catholic Club had been showing indifferent form before meeting up at St James’ Park but the Cumbrians emerged as 2-0 victors. Harraby’s Stephen Archibald had an early goal chalked off for offside and Alnwick’s Scott McMullen saw his powerful header tipped over by visiting keeper Andy Casson. But it was the Cumbrians who took the lead after 24minutes when Rob Bainbridge’s low cross was hammered in by Archibald.

Richard Brown was near to restoring parity for Alnwick but his drive clipped the upright and after the break Harraby were on top. After a couple of near misses by Bainbridge they doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Archibald bagged his second goal from close range.

With only one home win to their credit so far Ashington Colliers entertained a Murton side seeking its first away win and the resulting 1-1 draw left both disappointed. Craig Wilson opened the scoring for Murton straight from the kick off but after half an hour Marc Richardson levelled for the Colliers.

A 1-0 victory over Whitley Bay A at Hillheads earned Shankhouse a third round slot in the Kicks Leisure League Cup when they will be at home to Gosforth Bohemians.

DIVISIONS ONE & TWO – RARE WIN FOR NORTHBANK
Things are going badly for Newcastle East End in the First Division where they’ve suffered seven straight home defeats and are now stuck in the basement.. The East Enders allowed fellow-strugglers Northbank to pick up their first points away from home and the Cumbrians beat their desperate hosts 4-0 to lift themselves off the bottom rung. Two Dave Glendinning goals in the first half put Northbank on course for a rare victory. After the break Glendinning completed his hat-trick for the visitors whose fourth goal was claimed by Martin Coward.
Now in second place, Percy Main are only a point behind First Division leaders Gateshead Rutherford with an important game in hand. And for the second time in a week the Villagers beat South Shields United 2-0, this time away from home. It took only two minutes for Malcolm Morien to put the Main in front when he raced onto an astute pass from Tony Browell. The lead was doubled after 59 minutes when Steven Shadforth found the net after being put clean through by Joe Betts.

Cullercoats are still a long way short of joining the current pace-setters but they’ve struck a rich vein of form and have only tasted defeat once in their last ten outings. The Seasiders gained revenge for a 2-1 early season defeat by soundly beating hosts Peterlee Town 4-0. Steve Hart was a hat-trick hero for the winners and their tally was completed by an own goal presented to them by Peterlee’s Paul Callan.

These were the only three First Division league games down for decision and there was only one match played for points in the Second Division. Improving Swalwell climbed into mid-table and their 1-1 draw with visitors Willington Quay Saints extended an unbeaten run five games. Wes Fidler gave the Saints the lead just before half time but their hopes of clinching a first away win were shattered when Chris Smith levelled for Swalwell after the break.

The three First Division outfits in the Durham FA Trophy – Chopwell Officials, Hebburn Reyrolle and Gateshead Rutherford – all made progress in the competition.
Chopwell needed extra time to see off cup visitors Cornforth United to the tune of 2-1 and after Cornforth’s John Cook cancelled out Mark Fitzpatrick’s opener they were thankful for Andrew Smith’s winner.

Hebburn Reyrolle also won 2-1 although they were rather fortunate at home to Norton & Stockton Ancients Reserves after being given a boost by the early goals of Chris Morris and Dan Matthews. And Gateshead Rutherford cut it fine by winning 1-0 away to Shildon Railway with Ross Greenhill scoring the tie’s only goal from the spot with only ten minutes to go.

NFA MINOR CUP LATEST
Nineteen Northern Alliance Clubs were involved in second round ties in the Ideal Stelrad Northumberland Minor Cup and six of them fell at this hurdle. Wideopen & District, Cramlington Blue Star, Seaton Burn, Hexham, Tynemouth United and North Shields Athletic were all shown the exit door.

In three all-Northern Alliance clashes in the cup Amble United, Berwick United and Wallington all ended the hopes of league colleagues and Amble United won 4-0 at home to Tynemouth with goals shared by Brent Aisbitt, Mark Hume, Lee Harker and Paul White who completed his side’s tally in stoppage time.

Berwick United just edged out cup hosts Cramlington Blue Star by winning 2-1 but the Star were unfortunate. They had Jonathan Wardle on target but after Mike Robinson opened Berwick’s account the Borderers were presented with an own goal winner.

Wallington were 4-3 victors at Scots Gap but their colleagues North Shields Athletic gave them a run for their money. Paul Crate and Ashley McAlpine bagged two goals each for Wallington and replies from Athletic’s Dan Walton, Matt Donkin and Gary Farrage just fell short of what was required.

Amble, Forest Hall, Wallsend Boys Club, Morpeth Sporting Club, Gosforth Bohemians, Stobswood Welfare, Newcastle Chemfica, Wallsend Town, Whitley Bay Town and Newcastle BT were among the Alliance sides booking places in the Minor Cup’s third round.

Wallsend Boys Club won 6-0 at Belford, Morpeth Sporting Club cruised through by winning 7-1 away to Berwick Town and Newcastle BT beat cup hosts Wooler 6-2.
Gosforth Bohemians recorded the second round’s most convincing victory by hammering Tyne View of Blakelaw 10-0 at Benson Park. Matt Atkin scored four of the goals, Harry Tulip bagged two more and the rest were supplied by Danny Sherwood, Paul Hodge, Aaron Taylor and Liam Riley.

Kevin Bell and Adam Shanks were Amble’s marksmen in their 2-0 success at home to Newcastle Diggers United while Forest Hall won 3-1 away to Bamburgh Castle thanks to strikes by Michael Sandberg, Jamie Gilbert and Tom Faid.

Newcastle Chemfica’s tie at Rothbury finished goal-less after extra time but the Northern Alliance hopefuls won 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out. But no penalties were needed by Stobswood Welfare, Wallsend Town and Whitley Bay Town to ensure their progress.

Stobswood had Josh Hay (hat-trick), Steve Gibbard and James Davison on target to beat cup hosts Newcastle Pin Point 5-1 and last season’s losing finalists Wallsend Town won 4-1 at home to Newcastle Chemfica A thanks to goals scored by Lee Sommers (2), Pat Masuka and Graham McMillan.

Whitley Bay Town put their recent league problems behind them to record a 3-1 second round victory against visitors Springhill Berwick. 16-year-old debutant Chris Fairley, signed from Tynemouth United, scored twice for the Bay and Chris Atkin claimed their third goal.