MUIR THE MERRIER AS SILKSWORTH GO THIRD
SUNDERLAND WEST END SUNK IN SIX-GOAL DERBY THRILLER AS FAST START SPARKS HOSTS
Silksworth CW are up to third place following victory over local rivals Sunderland West End in Saturday’s thrilla-minute six-goal derby.
After sensationally establishing a two-goal cushion by the sixth minute, the Colliers were pegged back but managed to go in at the break with a 3-2 lead.
Though five goals flowed in the opening half, just one was scored in the second, clinching Silksworth’s triumph.
With time running out and West End still in with a chance of taking something from the match, Silksworth ended their visitors’ hopes with a late fourth strike.
Kieran Mitchell gave the Colliers the start they craved when he netted from a rebound with barely a minute gone and soon afterwards Adam Storey made it two, slotting the ball past West End keeper Graeme Pickering from 15 yards.
Back came the Ford Quarry side and by the 35th minute the scores were level again.
In the 19th minute, Callum Hodgson headed wide of goalkeeper Jonathan Williamson to halve the deficit, and he beat the keeper again, this time from the penalty spot.
But, right on the stroke of half-time, Paul Muir rounded the visiting keeper to restore the advantage to Silksworth and he wrapped up the points for his side when he struck the decisive fourth goal nine minutes from the end.
Ashbrooke Belford House were surprisingly hit for six on their visit to Annfield Plain, who are two places and a point behind the Wearsiders in the bottom half of the table.
Plain’s Liam Ridley found the net on 10 minutes, but, within three minutes, Ashbrooke were level courtesy of Mark Green.
From then on, though, it was downhill for the visitors and, at the interval, the Derwent Park outfit had built up a 5-1 lead with strikes from Ridley, Daniel Maddison and David Walker, who bagged a brace.
Although Ashbrooke tightened up defensively in the second period, they conceded a sixth goal when Stuart Burton was unfortunate to deflect a shot into his own net.
Rejuvenated Horden CW were another team to score six times – for the second game in a row as they launch an impressive return to top form.
A win was almost certain by the halfway stage against Windscale after Brian Myers (2), Peter Crawford, Kurt Matthews and Nathan Stephenson had all beaten visiting goalkeeper James Dolan.
The Cumbrians did reduce the deficit thanks to a brace from Matthew Metcalfe, but Kieran Voss made it six from the spot and Jordan Livingstone’s late effort, cutting the gap to 6-3, was no more than another consolation for Windscale.
Jarrow continue to set the pace at the top of the table and they enjoy a nine-point lead over Redcar Athletic.
The South Tynesiders, though, had a close call at lowly Wolviston, where they just managed to scrape a 2-1 win.
Stephen Graham’s crosscum-shot found the top of the net, but there was nothing fortunate about his second goal – a tremendous volley from long range which gave goalkeeper Jon McLone no chance of saving.
Just before the referee blew his half-time whistle, Ryan Hebb threw Wolviston a lifeline as he lobbed keeper Jak Wells from outside the penalty area, but Jarrow held on for a 12th win in 14 attempts.
Redcar Athletic consolidated second spot and, with 47 goals from 13 games, are the leading scorers.
They put four past bottom club Harton and Westoe, who were first to score with Andy Hall’s clinical finish.
But once the Seasiders restored parity, they marched to victory. Prolific marksman Andy Jennings rifled a hattrick and Cory Carmichael added to the woes of Harton, who are still without a win.
The three leading sides all won but the two below them lost. Surprisingly, Richmond Town went down at Leam Rangers, who are second bottom.
Michael Layfield, now free of his cricket commitments, celebrated by giving the Yorkshiremen an eighthminute lead, but the Gateshead club roared back to take the points with efforts from Jonny Hurst (2) and Anthony Huddart.
Fifth-top Coxhoe Athletic succumbed to Hartlepool, who won a thriller 7-3.
There was little between the teams at the 55th minute, when the score was 2-2, but Pool blitzed the home side in the late stages.
Dale Campion (2), John Stephenson (2), Paul Donaghie, Matthew Gardner and Alex Marshall were their match-winners, with Robert Thompson, Ross Morrow and Scott Young on target for Coxhoe.
After going in at the break ahead with a Mark Ruddock penalty, Seaham Red Star Reserves returned from their long trek to Cleator Moor Celtic empty-handed.
Leigh Dunn levelled 20 minutes from time and, with nine minutes left on the watch, Darren Little converted a penalty for Cleator’s winner.
The South Tyneside derby ended all square when both goals were scored in the first eight minutes.
Matthew Davison fired South Shields Reserves in front on four minutes before Boldon CA’s Shaun Carroll equalised following a freekick. Boldon played the last 25 minutes with 10 men after having Neil Collin sent off for a handling offence.