Rich pickings in Richmond for table-topping Harbour
Seaham Harbour Cricket were able to maintain their lead at the top of the Sunderland and District Over40s Football League Division Two table and keep up their post-restart 100% record following a trip to Richmond in North Yorkshire.
With a near full-strength squad, Seaham were to prove too strong for their hosts, running out 5-3 winners, with centre-forward Holt notching up a hat-trick.
It was the hosts that took the lead after 10 minutes, thanks to goalkeeper McSween getting his angles wrong and allowing a header to drift into his net.
Seaham found themselves down to 10 men shortly afterwards following a sin-binning, but they managed to turn the game around despite being a man down, with Parry lobbing the keeper quickly being followed up by a Holt shot from close range.
Having gone into the interval 2-1 up, Seaham put themselves another goal ahead within a minute of the restart, Turner finding the back of the net.
With constant Seaham pressure, it was only a matter of time before further goals arrived, and they duly followed as Holt netted his second and third of the game.
The hosts came on strong in the last 20 minutes, breaching the Seaham rearguard on two occasions.
It was to be too little too late, however.
Hartlepool Catholic Club found 13 anything but an unlucky number, that being the tally of goals yielded by their two latest home games, beating Stag and Monkey 4-1 in midweek,thenthrashingCobblers Hall 9-1 on Saturday.
Scott Newbegin was only on the pitch for five minutes against Stag before going off injured, but that was long enough for him to set up Stuey Hope for the opener.
Hope then went solo, turning a defender inside out before slotting in his second. Midway through the half, Paul Dougherty tapped home after his first effort came back to him off the post.
Stag pulled a goal back just before half-time when Brendan Deer squeezed his shot just inside the post. It gave them a boost which produced a more even second half, but Cat holic still carried the greater threat.
They completed the scoring late on when John Dobing got on the end of Sammy Baldwin’s cross to the far post and slotted home.
Hartlepool Catholic started really well against Cobblers,withDobinghittingthe post and Hope scoring inside the first five minutes.
The visitors then had a short spell on top, forcing Dave Stephenson to make two outstanding saves.
Mark Taylor scored his first goal for the club and Hope set up Jonny Payne for a tap-in and a 3-0 half-time lead.
Dobing scored straight after the break and Hope got a couple more, one from the spot, to complete his hattrick, before Cobblers got a goal back.
Dobing scored twice more, either side of a fourth for Hope, star man for Catholic during two excellent team performances, to complete his own hat-trick.
Rolls- Royce and Doxy Park’s derby was a tight game, with both keepers just spectating for much of it.
Rolls eventually took the
lead just before half-time when Joe Clark headed in a Gavin Evans cross.
Doxy equalised 15 minutes into the second half. A long ball over the top found their centre-forward, Andy Wilson, though he looked offside, and he managed to beat the keeper to make it 1-1.
Rolls went in search of the winner and were rewarded with 10 minutes remaining.
Kevin Agnew, in goal, found his brother Michael Agnew on the left wing with a quick clearance. He then crossed to an advancing Gavin Mulvaney, who scored from inside the area with a right-foot shot to end the game 2-1 to Rolls.
In the Premier Division,
Hartlepool Workies put in a solid performance to beat South Shields 2-0 at King George’s.
It was scoreless at halftime, mainly thanks to the Shields keeper.
James Parkinson and Neil Farwell were denied by wonderful fingertip saves. Parkinson did get round the stopper but saw his shot cleared off the line.
Workies finally breached the Shields defence 15 minutes into the second period.
Parkinson beat two players and found the top corner from the edge of the area.
Jon Kegans and Alan Hoey were thwarted by that keeper’s heroics again, and the hosts’ keeper, Marty Ball, tipped over a goal-bound header.
Workies made the points safe after 70 minutes, Graham Popple’s excellent cross being met with a bullet header from Hoey.
Farwell starred, along with Parkinson and Robbie Ferguson.
Houghton Cricket managed to give away a three-goal lead to end up getting beat 4-3 by Trimdon Vets.
All started well for Houghton, and they led 3-0 after 20 minutes, courtesy of goals from Michael Forster senior then Michael Forster junior and a Clive Greenwood effort straight from a corner.
Sloppy defending let Trimdon in for two goals to make it 3-2 at half-time.
Trimdon then equalised with 10 minutes left and snatched the winner in the last minute.
Selected Saturday fixtures: Premier Division: Ferryhill Greyhound v Wallsend Boys Club, South Shields v Middlesbrough, Ryhope Foresters v Penshaw Catholic Club, Washington EMS v Easington CW. Division One: CSSC Darsley Park v Consett, Hebburn Town v Sherburn Village, Grindon Broadway v Plains Farm Project, Milbourne Arms v North Shields Pineapple, Thornley Harry’s Bar v Wallsend Community, Whitley Bay Seahorse v Pelton Crown Inn.