LATE INJURIES COULD BE COSTLY FOR PONT

By Bill Gardner

Ponteland United, now occupying fourth spot, have lost only once on their travels this season and were made to work hard for an eventual 2-2 draw with Seaton Delaval at Wheatridge Park.

A downpour just before the game made conditions very difficult at the outset and Delaval belied their recent form by going into a two-goal lead. Following a couple of near misses by Ponteland’s Max Turner and as the game was becoming over-physical Delaval were fired in front. After twenty minutes the visitors’ defence was caught out and Jordan Fry was on hand at the back post to head in Paul King’s cross.

The home side’s lead was doubled five minutes into the second half and, after collecting a shrewd pass from Andrew Purvis, Stephen Howes beat United keeper Michael Havelock from a very tight angle.

Despite this setback Pont believed they could save the game and Marc Dummett opened their account with his free kick getting a kind deflection to guide it into the net.
With fifteen minutes to go parity was restored by United’s Billy Holden whose glancing header from another Dummett free kick beat the unsighted home keeper Pont continued to press and somehow in a goalmouth melee the ball just wouldn’t go into the net with Delaval defending resolutely and Pont unable to get a clear strike on goal. However an equaliser came with 15 minutes remaining and it was almost identical to the first. Dummett again curled his free kick viciously into the crowded goalmouth and it glanced off Holden’s head past the unsighted home keeper Joe Thompson.

With passions beginning to run high Delaval had Steve Anderson red-carded with ten minutes remaining. And Ponteland suffered a double injury blow in the closing stages when strikers Max Turner and Billy Holden ended up injured. Turner was withdrawn with a hamstring problem and Holden suffered knee ligament damage in a collision with Delaval keeper Thompson.
The typical and unpredictable Easter weather put paid to the home games of Ashington Colliers, Stocksfield and Shankhouse with Premier Division leaders Wark and third-placed Killingworth Sporting left kicking their heels.

Defending champions Walker Central in second spot saw some action however and in difficult conditions at Monkchester they beat Cramlington Town 3-0 to get within a point of Wark. Paul Chapman and Chris Walpole scored inside the first twenty minutes to give the Central a boosts and five minutes from the end Liam Mulligan completed their tally.
Walker manager Mike Jeffels was happy with the result against a Cramlington outfit that had hammered Wark on the previous Saturday. He paid tribute to teenagers Mike Strachan, James Walker, Sean Reid and keeper Matt Hunter who were drafted in and also to 51-year-old Wilf Keilty who had to come on as substitute.

Alnwick Town have made a dramatic climb into fifth spot after winning six games on the trot and they showed no mercy to visitors Murton who suffered a heavy 10-1 defeat. Murton have won only once on their travels and were run ragged in this encounter with only a single reply from Michael Walton to show for their efforts. Tom Vickers banged in five of Alnwick’s goals in an inspired performance and the others were shared by Ben Keenan, Tony Brown, Chris Murray, Gary Patterson and Chris Moffatt.

Ponteland United stayed put in fourth place and have only lost once away from home this term. United were restricted to a 2-2 draw by Seaton Delaval at Wheatridge Park but had to come from behind to share the spoils. Strikes by Jordan Fry and Stephen Howes gave Delaval a two-goal lead but they have a habit of surrendering the advantages they create. Marc Dummett opened Pont’s account and Billy Holden scored their equaliser but they failed to capitalise when the home side’s Steve Anderson received his marching orders in the 75th minute.
Newcastle University have failed to clinch a win in a miserable run of nine league matches and the Students are still facing possible relegation unless their several games in hand yield some points. In their first meeting with visitors Blyth Town this term the University were beaten 4-1 but the score-line hardly did them justice.

Jeff Fuller’s first half opener for Blyth was turned in from Chris Lisle’s pull-back from the bye line and Gary Day also netted for the Town before the break with his chance too set up by Lisle. The University’s single reply came from Dave Kewn but they conceded two more goals to Day (penalty) and Fuller after the break with the latter’s second scoring opportunity laid on by Neil Blades.

DIVISION ONE – PETERLEE MAKE THEIR POINT AT PURVIS PARK
Only goal difference is now separating joint leaders Gateshead Rutherford and Percy Main at the head of the First Division with the Main holding the aces in the shape of two games in hand. And while their Gateshead rivals were lying idle the Villagers kept the pressure on despite shedding their first home points of the campaign.

At Purvis Park, Jason Ritchie’s side were restricted to a 4-4 draw in their thrilling encounter with Peterlee Town who had been 4-2 losers in the reverse fixture. In this return game Percy Main made the brightest start and Joe Betts and Callum Colbeck were on target inside the first twenty minutes. They were reeled back in however and their determined visitors restored parity with replies from Scott Henderson and Adam Stanley.

Before the break Malcolm Morien restored the Main’s advantage but once again Peterlee hit back, this time through Peter Crawford and it was all square at 3-3. Colbeck’s second goal of the game nudged the Villagers in front again in the 65th minute but the Newtowners refused to surrender. After 76 minutes Crawford struck again for the visitors who deserved their share of the spoils.

Third-placed Amble United still have an interest in the promotion race and games in hand could allow them to overtake current table-toppers Rutherford, if not Percy Main. The Seasiders however were disappointed with their 2-2 home draw against Gosforth Bohemians although the result extended their unbeaten run to seven games. United seemed to have the points neatly wrapped up after scoring goals in each half put away by Darren Riddell and then Lee Harker. But credit was due to the Bohemians who never gave in and staged a very late recovery. Harry Tulip reduced the deficit in the 86th minute and three minutes later Kevin Held weighed in with Gosforth’s last ditch equaliser.

Chopwell Officials had won six of eight league games prior to the visit of South Shields United but in this one they slumped to a 3- 1 defeat.

Shields, due to take on Hartlepool Millhouse this week in the Durham FA Minor Cup Final at Peterlee, showed no signs of pre-final nerves and came good after losing three league games on the trot. Ryan Shave headed them in front from a Mark Davies flag kick midway through the first half and almost immediately Aaron Kah put his brother Tijan Kah through to double United’s lead from a tight angle. Before the interval Shields keeper Shaun Newbrook conceded a penalty and Chopwell’s Lee Best beat him from the spot but the visitors still had the last word. Straight after the changeover some intricate passing between Michael Pittuck, Mark Davies and Aaron Kah ended up with a great cross from Adam Bell being headed powerfully home by Kyle Yorston.

In the only other First Division game to beat the weather Berwick United’s recent improvement continued and they made it four wins out of five by beating struggling visitors Northbank 3-1. The Borderers avenged their earlier defeat over in Cumbria and took the lead when, slightly against the run of play, Jonathan Brown blasted his 25-yard effort into the roof of the net.
Before the interval a defensive mix-up by Northbank allowed Simon Hargreaves to extend Berwick’s advantage Ross Irving went close to getting Northbank off the mark but they conceded another goal scored by Leigh Walker and a late reply from Stuart McGarva didn’t offer much consolation. The Cumbrians had only one player on the bench at Berwick and are facing the real prospect of relegation.

DIVISION TWO – ATHLETIC ARE HEADING NORTH
Only two of eight scheduled games in the Second Division were able to go ahead because of the unforeseeable Easter elements and North Shields Athletic stretched their lead at the head of the table to a massive twelve points although nearest rivals Amble now have four games in hand.

Still unbeaten at home, North Shields made visitors Willington Quay Saints their latest victims in a 10-0 rout which showed just why they’re leading the field. Craig Boyle was a star performer with his hat-trick for Athletic. They also had Danny Henderson bagging himself a brace and the other goals in the double figure final tally were shared by Antonio Mango, Graeme Murray, Alex Burn, Liam Vaughan and James Barker.

But for their unsatisfactory results away from home, Forest Hall could have been challenging for the Second Division title instead of being in fourth spot with only vague hopes of promotion. In direct contrast to their travelling record the Hall have yet to be beaten at their East Palmersville base and maintained their record by restricting second-placed Amble to a 2-2 draw.
Kevin Baldwin and Michael Reay were the Forest Hall marksmen while Amble’s two counters both came from leading scorer Wyn Fremlin whose personal tally was increased to 26 goals in all games so far this season.

Amble have maintained their progress but are facing a daunting fixture backlog in the run-in to the end of the campaign. Other Second Division sides facing similar problems because of the continuing bad weather are Newcastle Chemfica, Cramlington Blue Star, Wallsend Town, Wallsend Boys Club and Whitley Bay Town who are currently isolated on the bottom rung.