GOALS GALORE IN LEAGUE CUP

17th October

By Bill Gardner

Two second round ties in the Kicks Leisure George Dobbins League Cup were ten-goal thrillers with top flight clubs Heaton Stannington and Blyth Town, both away to lower division opponents, claiming identical 6-4 victories.
Heaton’s marksmen away to Newcastle East End were Lawrence McKenna (hat-trick), Adam Donaghey, Ian Mills and Andy Weeks. Andy Graham also completed a hat-trick for the losers whose other reply came from Jason Thompson.
Visiting Willington Quay Saints, Blyth Town’s scorers were Jonny Mann (hat-trick), Jeff Fuller (2) and Danny Beresford to outweigh the Saints’ efforts by Gareth Pugh (2), Stephen Cape and Glen Johnson (penalty). And there were other high-scoring ties in which Alnwick Town and 2005 cup winners Shankhouse made easy progress. Despite having Gary Bailes sent off just after the break in their home tie against Red House Farm, Alnwick still coasted through 7-0 with goals by Tom Vickers (3), James Swordy (2), Chris Moffat and Ben Keenan.
Shankhouse had a slightly more modest 5-0 success away to Newcastle Chemfica with goals were shared by Michael Bell, James Armstrong, Jordan Walsh, David Dormand and James Card.
In the second round’s only all-Premier Division encounters there were victories for Walker Central and Wark at the expense of top flight colleagues. Walker beat cup hosts Cramlington Town 4-0, avenging their earlier league defeat with goals by Ben Taylor (2), Liam Mulligan and Nabby Benny. And Wark’s scorers in the 2-0 home win against Gateshead Rutherford were Tony Lancaster and Matt McLoughlin.
Ashington Colliers cruised into the next round by beating visitors Amble 4-0 with strikes by Simon Cunningham, Jon Rees, Marc Richardson and Michael Hogg but Ponteland United came a cropper at Cullercoats.
With several players unavailable Pont had to make changes, bringing in full back Ricky Fenwick for his first start of the season. Paul Hodgson also made a belated start to the campaign following a lengthy injury absence but United were still missing the services of Craig Brown and Ross Phillips.
United fell behind after only five minutes when Gareth Armstrong had an easy tap in for Cullercoats. The visitors levelled on the quarter hour and just after Harry Tulip’s header came off the bar Hodgson scored with a powerful volley to make it all square at half time.
Cullercoats had a player harshly sent off after 55 minutes for denying a goal scoring opportunity and Andrew Davidson put Pont in front with the resultant penalty. But in the 88th minute and despite their numerical disadvantage the Seasiders got back on terms when Craig Deighton headed home from a free kick. Extra time produced no further goals and in the spot kick shoot-out Cullercoats edged it as 4-3 victors.
Reigning Premier Division champs Harraby Catholic Club were taken to extra time by Tynemouth United over in Cumbria after Tynemouth’s Michael Brown had cancelled out Daniel Balmer’s early opener. Harraby emerged as 4-2 victors thanks to extra time goals scored by Marc Shiel (2) and Aaron Roberts.
Murton won 4-1 at home to current Second Division leaders Wallsend Town after Steve Bell had given the Tynesiders an interval lead. Murton turned the tables with replies from Paul Garside (hat-trick) and Marc Smith.
A bad facial injury to Percy Main’s Chris Locke caused the 70th minute abandonment of their home tie against Peterlee Town with the Villagers leading 4-0. Both John Amos and Dean Ellis had scored two goals apiece before the unsavoury incident leading to the immediate sending of the Peterlee offender. And the Main will now have to wait to see whether the game has to be replayed.
In the only Premier Division league game Killingworth Sporting beat hosts Carlisle City with second half goals by Kevin Westphal and Elliott Dixon. The result ended a three-match losing streak for Killy.

DIVISION ONE – CUP ROUNDUP
On a weekend when league games in the First and Second Divisions made way for ties in the Kicks Leisure League Cup and Pin Point Recruitment Charity Cup, only Amble United, Cullercoats, Whitley Bay A, Newcastle University and Heddon kept the First Division flag flying in the League Cup. And every one of the Second Division survivors bowed out at the second round stage.
Amble United stayed on course by winning 3-1 at home to their First Division colleagues Wallington and a first half brace claimed by Josh Hay laid the foundations for the Seasiders. Although Jordan Nellis replied for Wallington just before half time their hopes of a comeback were dashed in the 55th minute when Ross Gair scored Amble’s third goal.
While Cullercoats claimed a major scalp in their successful penalty shoot-out at home to Ponteland United, Whitley Bay A made progress with a 4-1 victory at Hexham where their goals were equally shared by Jamie Lyndon, Alex Robinson, Tomi Ameobi and Dean Porter.
Freshly-relegated Newcastle University and Heddon kept their League Cup options open and the Students had goals by James Swainston, Ben Burt and Pat Stokle to thank for their 3-2 victory over Berwick United Ultras at Cochrane Park.
Heddon however needed the luxury of extra time to book their third round ticket with a 3- 2 win away to Wideopen & District. Nick Jefferson and Sean Hay netted for Wideopen but two replies from Dan Robinson earned Heddon a second chance. Although they were down to ten men for the added half hour the visitors had Robinson on the mark again to complete his hat-trick and put his side through into the last sixteen.
With the second round completed apart from the tie involving holders Hebburn Reyrolle at home to Seaton Delaval the third round draw of the Kicks Leisure League Cup now reads:
Alnwick Town v Heddon, Amble United v Percy Main or Peterlee Town,
Ashington Colliers v Newcastle University, Blyth Town v Cullercoats, Heaton Stannington v Murton, Shankhouse v Walker Central, Wark v Hebburn Reyrolle or Seaton Delaval and
Whitley Bay A v Harraby Catholic Club. Ties are due to be played on Saturday 13th November.

CHARITY CUP ACTION
In a delayed preliminary round tie in the Pin Point Recruitment Charity Cup, North Shields Athletic progressed by beating visitors Chopwell Officials 2 -0. Goals for Matt Donkin and David Jeffers earned the Athletic a forthcoming trip across the river to take on first round opponents South Shield United.
All of the other first round ties were decided and Forest Hall celebrated a rare victory, beating cup hosts Morpeth Sporting Club 6-2 in extra time. And the extra half hour was also required by Northbank Carlisle to secure a 4-2 verdict away to Newcastle BT. Dan Sherliker and Greg Hamilton were BT’s scorers in normal time but they ran out of steam and the Cumbrians wrapped up the tie.
The most incisive Charity Cup victory was achieved by Simonside SC who beat visitors Cramlington United 7-1. In a one-sided encounter Shaun Edwards claimed a hat-trick for the winners. The other Simonside marksmen were Sean Flood ( 2), Steve Graham and Craig Lumley before Dean Morgan grabbed a last minute consolation goal for Cramlington.
Stobswood Welfare did well to win 3-1 and end the Charity Cup hopes of in-form visitors Gosforth Bohemians whose only scorer was John Elliott. David King opened the Welfare’s account and their progress was assured when Adam Shanks bagged himself a brace.
Stocksfield, the only Premier Division competitors in the Charity Cup this term, proved too strong for Second Division visitors Seaton Burn, winning 2-0 with goals for Jamie Starkey and Ben Pearson. And Swalwell won 5-1 at home to Wallsend Boys Club who had beaten their hosts 1-0 in the identical league game in this campaign. Wallsend boss Tim Hutchinson fielded a young side for the cuptie but in the opening twenty minutes was dismayed to see teenager Gary McGarrigal and veteran Alan Storey carried off injured. Storey could face a long lay-off with ankle ligament damage.
After Scot Goldsmith-Scott gave Swalwell a half time lead their visitors had a tough task ahead and after the changeover the home side added further goals through Dave Fitzpatrick ( 2) and Stuart Rook ( 2) before Scott Lynas finally got the Boys Club off the mark. But this wasn’t the best of adverts for Northern Alliance football.
Whitley Bay Town had Liam Hudson and Chris Fairley finding the net in their tie at home to Cullercoats Custom Planet but got no joy and were eventually beaten 6-2. Martin Wardale’s hat-trick ensured that the Planet retained their interest in the cup and just to make sure the visitors also had Tony Fawcett, Liam Graham and Andy Gay getting their names on the score sheet.