FIVE-STAR RED HOUSE REACH SEMIS IN STYLE
STAR MAN HODGSON SETS UP CONVINCING WIN OVER PENSHAW TO SEAL HEATON CLASH
Red House WMC outgunned Penshaw Catholic Club 5-1 to storm into the semi-finals of the Robson Pattison Cup.
Man of the match Paul Hodgson put Red House ahead inside a minute, and his speed and awareness proved to be the big difference between the sides.
Penshaw had penalty appeals waved away after 10 minutes, when a Red House defender appeared to handle the ball on the line in a goalmouth scramble.
Red House, though, looked dangerous in every attack and doubled the lead when a shot was only parried, with the rebound finished off. A goalkeeping error made it 3-0, and two further goals followed before Penshaw responded,
Red House play Heaton Stannington in tomorrow’s semi-final.
Marden will meet old rivals Hartlepool Touchdown in Easter Monday’s Kenny Ball Cup final at Wearmouth CW, after coming through their semi-finals.
Touchdown edged out Seaham Marlborough 2-1, though were two up before the visitors pulled one back.
Marden beat brave Darlington Shuttle and Loom 4-1. Barry Raper fired home a 30-yard free-kick to give Loom the lead, but Geoff Walker (2) and Frank Deverdics (2) saw Marden home.
The final is at Wearmouth CW on Monday, April 17 (10.30am kick-off ).
Easington CIU won the battle of the big guns in Division One after coming from behind to beat leaders Hylton CW 2-1.
The hosts went in front midway through the first half, but the game changed on the restart when they had a player sent off for violent conduct.
Easington capitalised, with Tommy Wilkinson equalising on the hour before Scott Burns fired in a free-kick winner in the final minute. Anthony Banks was Easington’s star man, with Steve Massey and Langthorne also impressing.
Hylton, though, remain four points clear at the top, with a game in hand.
Grindon Broadway’s good run ended with a 2-0 defeat to Whitley Bay Seahorse.
Grindon had strong penalty claims waved away, when Paul Griffiths was tackled from behind. They also had a goal disallowed for offside.
Seahorse broke th deadlock with a Hyman penalty on 55 minutes, before Grindon’s Chris Toop thought he had levelled, with a shot which went through the keeper’s hands, but the referee disallowed it for an adjudged infringement on the keeper. Hammill added Whitley’s killer second goal.
Thornley Celtic handed out a 3-1 defeat to one-time leaders Hartlepool Gillen Arms, while Ferryhill Greyhound maintained their promotion push, winning 1-0 at Dormans to climb above Grindon into fourth place.
John Hogg Funerals ran out convincing 4-0 winners against Mill View SC in their Second Division derby.
John Hogg started the brighter and had a lot of possession without really troubling the Mill keeper in a goalless first half.
Mill changed their shape for the second half and posed more of a threat, however John Hogg broke away and, after some sloppy defending, took the lead with a smart finish at the near post.
The goal galvanised John Hogg and deflated Mill, as two quick goals followed, before the hosts made it 4-0 with the last kick of the game.
The Philadelphia endured a 9-0 beating at second-top Wallsend Boys Club, who look good to pip longtime leaders Blakelaw SC, beaten 3-1 by Peterlee Helford, to the title.
Pelton Crown moved within a point of third-top Cobblers Hall thanks to a 5-3 win over the Aycliffe side.
Durham County Strollers fully deserved their 1-0 Third Division win at Willow Pond.
Durham’s bright start was kept at bay by keeper John Davis, still playing with a broken finger.
Strollers frontman Nicky Barker held the ball up well and most of their attacks were channelled through him. Durham duly went ahead after Willow gave possession away and Dean Craig carried the ball down the right wing and fired over a low cross, past the diving Davis and into the path of Barker, who slid it home with defender Lee Brown unable to stop it crossing the line.
Willow replied with two Kit Tipling chances which were easily saved by the mostly untroubled Durham keeper Andrew Neil and a Ronald Bulmer long-ranger.
Willow pulled themselves together in the second half, with Durham down to 10 men, following Barker’s sending off.
Strollers defended calmly under pressure, with James Briant hitting the bar, after a corner was not cleared, the hosts’ best effort.
Keeper Davis denied Durham a second goal on the break, smothering a shot from Shaun Davis.
Rolls-Royce lost 2-1 at Wingate Cons, while Houghton Cricket were thumped 7-0 at promotionchasing Richmond Town and Oddies outgunned Woodhorn Lane 4-1 to keep alive their survival bid.
Washington JFC Biddick Inn scored twice in 10 minutes just before half-time to see off Hartlepool Stag & Monkey 2-1.
Wearmouth Old Boys kept up their end-of-season surge with a 2-1 victory over Heighington Bay Horse to rise to eighth place in Division Four.
Bottom club Oddfellows Arms were sunk 6-0 by Billingham, while Colonel Prior lost 5-0 at Durham County. Ivy Legends, still fourth, drew 2-2 with third-top Hartlepool Vets.