By Bill Gardner
With six games outstanding and with the Premier Division title still in their sights as they continue to wade through a strength-sapping backlog, Harraby Catholic Club encountered a hitch. They were 4-1 victors against visitors Murton in midweek when Marc Shiel (2), Mike Swift and Aaron Roberts bagged their goals. But the Cumbrians were brought back to earth and were then beaten 2-0 by hosts Ashington Colliers who they entertain this Saturday in the return fixture. Mark Richardson had scored the only goal in Ashington’s 1-0 win away to Alnwick Town as the latter finished their own season. And it was Richardson again who gave the Colliers an early opener against Harraby with their second goal being a stoppage time penalty put away by Scott Smith.
Harraby, due to entertain defending champions Walker Central this week, had their disappointment eased when their title rivals Wark drew 4-4 with their bottom rung visitors Newcastle University. In their previous outing at Ponteland, Wark had only been saved from defeat by Matthew McLoughlin’s equaliser after Richard Ken t had put Pont in front. Against the University the Wark goals were shared by Mark Wright, Phil Thompson, Marc Nixon and Daniel Carter. Ed Savitt (2), Dave Kewn and Andy Hartley struck for the Students who, despite their heroics against the current league leaders, are still facing relegation along with Heddon.
Wark will be ending their campaign away to Heddon next Wednesday night but drawing half of their last ten Premier Division games could have cost them the championship.
Last Monday night’s game against Harraby across in Cumbria was set to be the last for defending champions Walker Central. They had hoped for a top two finish to pave the way for promotion to the Northern League but with Harraby and now Ashington Colliers snapping at their heels their ambitions may be thwarted. The Tynesiders could learn their fate this week.
Stocksfield switched their scheduled home game from Prudhoe to the Leisure Centre base of opponents Ponteland United and ended up losing 4-0. The first half ended goal-less but there was then a three-goal blast from Pont who had Joe Dawson, Scott Fenwick and Paul Hodgson all on target in the space of six minutes. Fenwick completed the scoring with his second of the match in the 84th minute.
Shankhouse, fifth from bottom in the current rankings after only winning one of six most recent games, effectively ended Heaton Stannington’s title hopes last Wednesday night by beating their opponents 2-1 at Northburn. Gifted an early own goal by Heaton’s Ben Telford, they had Anth Moran doubling their lead before Christian Collins pulled a goal back for the visitors.
The Shankhouse lads then had to settle for a 1-1 draw away to Killingworth Sporting. Ex-Walker Central striker David Dormand fired the visitors into an interval lead but Jorge Bollado then weighed in with Killy’s equaliser. And Shankhouse were due back at Amberley Park in Killingworth this week to take on Ponteland United in the Premier Division’s Kicks Leisure Challenge Cup Final.
DIVISION ONE – RUTHERFORD CONFIRM PROMOTION
It’s now certain that either Gateshead Rutherford or Percy Main will end up as First Division champions with Amble United possibly just missing out. In their penultimate game away to Berwick United, Rutherford won 4-1 to confirm their promotion with goals by Kevin Hay (2), Michael Jeffares and David Loughlin while Chris Falconer was Berwick’s lone marksman. Meanwhile title rivals Percy Main are only a point worse off and are up at Berwick this Saturday while Rutherford ending their campaign simultaneously away to Gosforth Bohemians.
Amble United were once backed for promotion this term but the third-placed Seasiders have suffered a dip in form at a critical stage, only picking up three points from four games prior to last weekend’s visit of Hebburn Reyrolle. United did well to beat their powerful opponents 1-0 with a 59th minute strike by Ian Common but the damage had already been done.
Whitley Bay A stayed in fourth spot and were in top form to hammer Chopwell Officials 8-1 at Hillheads where Dean Porter banged in four of their goals. Simon Reay bagged himself a brace in this one-sided encounter and the Bay’s other marksmen were Michael McMullen and Jack Walker. Games away to Seaton Burn and Hebburn Reyrolle will complete Whitley’s season and they’ll have fallen well short of promotion.
Events at the bottom of the First Division table have now come into focus with Seaton Burn already doomed to relegation after only winning two games in this campaign. The Burn were beaten once again, 2-1 by visitors South Shields United, and they are now bound to finish on the bottom rung.
The remaining dreaded relegation slot will be filled by Newcastle East End, Wallington or Northbank with only a single point separating the three strugglers.
Northbank did themselves a massive favour by beating Wallington 1-0 at Scots Gap with a Lee McDermott goal, his first of the season and this result could turn out to have ensured the Cumbrians’ continued First Division status.
Newcastle East End however stayed in trouble after losing 3-1 away to Cullercoats whose goals were supplied by Alex Burnett, Stewart Wright and David Owen. And the remaining crucial fixtures at the bottom of the table are: Hebburn Reyrolle v Newcastle East End, Northbank v Gosforth Bohemians, Northbank v Amble United, Wallington v South Shields United and Hebburn Reyrolle v Wallington. However, if Newcastle East End lose in their final clash away to Hebburn Reyrolle they’ll be joining Seaton Burn in taking the drop.
DIVISION TWO – STOBSWOOD IN THE OVERTAKING LANE
Second Division champions North Shields Athletic will be ending their successful campaign with a visit to Wallsend Town this Saturday in a game where only local pride is at stake. Second-placed Amble brought their curtain down in disappointing fashion by losing 1-0 away to Newcastle Chemfica whose winner was put away by Mark Fenwick. And Amble can only watch now as Stobswood Welfare threaten to claim the second promotion space in the lower division.
With four games still to play the Welfare are only three points short of Amble’s final total and are unlikely to waste this perfect chance of stepping up. The Welfare continued their late-season climb by beating hosts Wallsend Boys Club 3-1. Their goals, two of them from set pieces, were scored by Mark Sinclair, Josh Hay and Paul Smith with Rob Nolan replying for the losers.
The Welfare can book themselves a new life in the First Division by picking up only another four points from outstanding games against Hexham (home), Swalwell (home), Whitley Bay Town (away) and Cramlington Blue Star (home). They were capable of achieving their target this week.
Both Cramlington Blue Star and Cullercoats Custom Planet look like finishing in the bottom four in their first season in the Northern Alliance. But when the two met up at Cullercoats last weekend Cullercoats recorded a resounding 8-2 victory. The Planet’s marksmen were Martin Hepple (hat-trick), Andy McCartney (2), Kevin Knox ( 2) and Nigel Morris and the Blue Star’s replies came from Johnny Wardle and Sam Robinson.
Wallsend To wn’s promotion bid may have come to an end but in their penultimate game of the season they hammered hosts Newcastle BT 10-0 with five of their goals tucked away by Paul McCutcheon. Their other scorers were Liam Bell ( 2), Ryan Arnott, Ben Miley and Martin Nicholson.
Wideopen & District finished in the top half of the table despite losing their final game, going down 2-1 at home to Swalwell. The Swalwell goals were both claimed by Matthew Scott and Paul Booth scored his first of the season for Wideopen.
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