Mather spot on to secure a Saints win

NORTH EAST CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP LEAGUE

SAINT Paul’s Ryhope require four points from three games to secure the Premier Division title.

They moved a big step closer to the honours after edging past Stockton Churches Portrack 3-2 in the third meeting between the sides in 11 days.

In doing so, the Wearsiders seriously damged the Teessiders’ hopes of the championship.

Within ten minutes of the start Marc Dawson had catapulted Portrack into a 2-0 lead.

A goal from Ryan Mather before the break pulled Saint Paul’s Ryhope back into the match - and with three quarters of the game gone Paul Brooke equalised.

In the last ten minutes Saint Paul’s had a one on one with the Portrack goakeeper.

He clattered the Saints player and the referee pointed to the spot, Mather calmly putting away the penalty to seal Saint Paul’s victory.

At the other end of the table Sunderland Samba faced Jubilee Church Teesside and YAV SIFF visited Axiom.

At Samba, what was always going to be a tight match had its deadlock broken on 40 minutes when Nathan Dodds notched for Samba.

Abubakar Ibrahim sealed a 2-0 victory for Samba in the second period - and they survived the drop as Jubilee Church were relegated to Division One.

YAV SIFF also went down after crashing 4-1 at Axoim.

Jamie Dunn bagged all of Axiom’s counters - one in the first half and three in the second - and Hawraz Salah nabbed a consolation in the last five minutes for YAV SIFF.

Consett St Patrick’s eased to an emphatic 6-1 victory over Jesmond Parish Church.