Reay treble keeps Town on course at the top
HEBBURN Town Reserves went four points clear at the top and extended Sunderland West End’s poor run of form with a 3-1 win at the Energy Check Sports Gound.
The hosts took the lead on 25 minutes with a clinical finish from Shaun Reay, but Barry Turton grabbed an equaliser for West End.
That was as good as it got for the visitors as Reay completed his hat-trick as his side’s unbeaten league run was stretched to 17 matches.
Silksworth CW moved up to fifth with a remarkable win at bottom club Coxhoe Athletic.
But the Beechfield Park club tested their in-form visitors, before suffering a 5-4 defeat.
Liam Butler put Coxhoe ahead on seven minutes, but Silksworth were 3-1 up by half-time thanks to goals from Stephen Moody, Will Cook and Harry Munday.
Coxhoe were back level by the hour-mark via Liam Butler and Craig Moody, only for the visitors retake the lead with Munday’s second of the day.
Moody restored parity on 75 minutes, but Cook’s second goal ten minutes from time secured Silksworth’s victory.
A Liam Blighe brace and a goal from Will Preston gave West Auckland Tunns a 3-1 home win against Boldon CA and Garreth Winter gave Windscale a hard-earned win at Annfield Plain.
A Connor Halpin hat-trick put Gateshead Leam Rangers on their way to a 5-2 home win against Darlington Town.
Dean McCallum and Shaun Bell bagged the other goals for Anthony Huddart’s side.
Hartlepool FC moved into the second round of the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup with a penalty-shoot out win against Wolviston.
Jamie Tumilty’s injury-time equaliser sent the tie into a shoot-out after Mikey McGee looked to have secured his side’s passage into the next round. But the in-form hosts crashed out after a 5-3 defeat in the shoot-out.
Hartlepool will be joined in the next round by Harton and Westoe CW after an own goal and a strike from Dan Nolan gave them a 2-1 home win against Horden CW.
Chris Tarn, Paul New and Danny Pigg found the net as Darlington RA progressed into round two of the TWR Shipowners Charity Cup with a 3-1 win over Durham City Reserves.
MARK CARRUTHERS