Second-half double gives Washington valuable win
Washington EMS picked up a 2-0 win against Easington Colliery in the Premier Division of the Sunderland & District Mill View SC Over-40s League.
Both sides are in the bottom half of the league and struggling to turn full teams out.
This was a pretty dull first half with very little quality football, resulting in a 0-0 half-time scoreline.
Washington lifted their game in the second half and took the lead after 10 minutes when left winger Carl Short curled a lovely cross for Paul Kindon to head home at the far post.
Washington then doubled the lead with a very similar goal when Kindon crossed from the left wing and full back Steve Jones headed in at the far post. Washington nearly conceded when a bad pass from a free kick let striker Lee Jackson in and he hit the bar from 20 yards. Kindon then hit the bar for Washington when he ran through one on one with the Easington goalkeeper.
Grindon Broadway had a strong squad out against Hartlepool Jacksons, who struggled to get 11 players. Grindon looked the stronger team at the start. Then, after five minutes, Grindon allowed a Hartlepool player to run unchallenged into the penalty area. He centred to Leighton, standing unmarked with plenty of time to tap the ball in to the goal.
Grindon struggled to respond and were second to everything, which resulted in Jacksons extending their lead after 38 minutes when Hopkins ran through the Grindon defence and made it 2-0. In the second half, Cosgrave scored to increase Hartlepool’s lead but Griffiths quickly scored for Grindon with a header to make it 3-1. Hartlepool Raby Arms put in a great team performance to win 5-1 at Peterlee Helford.
Goals by Lee Steel and Garry Johnson earned Rolls Royce a draw away to Darlington Athletic. The home team took and early lead but Rolls bat
tled well to come back and, eventually, went 2-1 up just before half time. Darlington then picked up their game again and equalised with 15 minutes to go. Hartlepool Cricket Club travelled to Washington Biddick looking to improve their away record and did that with a 1-0 win. In the Premier, Hartlepool FC Blues entertained Wallsend Boys Club at Grayfields and won 2-1. The Royal Navy Club played local rivals Willow Pond and started well, using their possession to press the home side, but fell behind to an early goal after a counter-attack saw Gary Golightly set up fellow Pond striker Martin Lee, who blasted the ball home from inside the 18-yard box. Pond midfielder David Kelly danced round his markers to create a counter-attack. Lee continued it and laid the ball off to Laws, whose 30-yard curling shot looped over stand-in ‘keeper Ronald Bulmer to make it 2-0 to Pond. TheNavyClubmadeafurther shuffle of their squad and Lee Etheridge donned the keeper's jersey, being called straight into action when he saved a shot from Pond midfielder Steven Jamieson. The second half saw the Navy again have good possession but they lacked a cutting edge
against a Pond side who were happy to soak up the pressure and hit back on the counter.
Pond stretched their lead further when their right back and man of match Lee Brown beat his marker to cross the ball low into the box for substitute striker Mark Soppitt.
He fired the ball home, with Bland only helping it past Etheridge. Callander, for the Navy Club, had a close-range shot from inside the box saved by Tilbury and Armstrong tried his luck from distance after being put through by Bulmer. Another home attack had Jamieson hold the ball up outside the box and he brought Laws and Kelly into the play.
Kelly crossed the ball
for Lee and he made no mistake, volleying home past Etheridge from inside the box to score his second and Pond's fourth goal. The Navy Club plugged away to the final whistle with shots from distance but the home side held firm to take the three points with a 4-0 win and a clean sheet. Fixtures for January 29:
Premier Division: Easington CIU v Hartlepool FC Blues, Killingworth YPC v Washington, Middlesbrough SC v Penshaw Catholic Club, Marden v Times Inn, Sherburn Village WMC v Blyth Masons Arms, South Shields v Ferryhill Greyhound, Ryhope Foresters v Hebburn Town, Wallsend BC v Pelton Crown Inn.
Division One: Redcar Town v CSSC Darsley Park, Roseberry Hilda Park v The Milbourne Arms, Seaham Harbour Cricket v Grindon Broadway, Sedgefield v Hartlepool Jacksons, Humbledon Plains Farm v N/Shields Pineapple, Wallsend Community v Dubmire Club, Wearmouth CW Old Boys v Consett, Woodhorn Lane v Stanley. Division Two: Boldon Colliery Old Barrel v Hartlepool Raby Arms, Hartlepool Cricket Club v Sunderland Mill View, Hartlepool Tech v N/Aycliffe Cobblers Hall, Newcastle East End v Richmond Town, Seaton Buildings v Durham County, S/Shields Catholic Club v Peterlee Helford, Sunderland Hall Farm v Washington Biddick Inn. Division Three: Bedlington United Sporting v Trimdon Vets, Durham Bede Lodge v Walkergate, Hedworthfield Red Hackle v Whitburn FC, Newcastle Blue Star v Pennywell Comrades, Shildon AFC v Billingham Vets, Ivy Legends v Heighington Bay Horse. Division Four: Hartlepool Vets v Seaton Carew, Redcar Newmarket v Houghton Cricket, Rolls Royce v Houghton Burn, Royal Navy v Catchgate, The Doxy Lad v Billingham the Lion, Willow Pond v The Philadelphia, West Moor Darlington Railway Athletic.