Striker Chris in the Moody to give Penshaw revenge against Pelton
The Sunderland and District Mill View Social Club Over40s League momentarily paused onfield matters last week to mourn the loss of two league stalwarts.
Newton Aycliffe’s Darren Scott died suddenly from a heart attack, and Rolls Royce’s Gary Anderson passed following a cancer-related illness.
The league extends its condolences to their families.
On the pitch, Storm Dudley took its toll on the fixture list, with Hartlepool FC Blues’ trip to Washington EMS among the few games remaining.
Washington got off to a great start when Danny Murray headed home a rebound in the second minute. Hartlepool responded in great fashion and drew level after 15 minutes when James Parkinson fired home from outside the box. Parkinson added a second just before half time after a scramble in the box to put Hartlepool 2-1 up.
The second half was a great contest and a brilliant cross from Carl Short was headed home by Peter Bryson to level the scores. The game was very close but Hartlepool were awarded a penalty in the final minutes which Chris Birkbeck fired home to make it 3-2 to Hartlepool. Bryson for Washington and Parkinson for Hartlepool won the manof-the-match honours, and Hartlepool continued their long unbeaten run.
Penshaw Catholic Club avenged an earlier away loss
against Pelton Crown Inn with a 3-1 home win against the same opposition.
On a very poor surface desperately in need of a good rolling, both teams missed early gilt-edged chances to open the scoring before Penshaw got in front with a Chris Moody header after a goalmouth scramble midway through the first half. The second Penshaw goal wasn’t
long coming with a Moody penalty converted after a foul in the box on the impressive Paul Hodgson.
Moody grabbed the third Penshaw goal and yet another hat-trick to add to a long list for his side with a close-range strike. The second half saw a spirited fightback by Pelton aided by a calamitous error by Penshaw Keeper Mark Hartley to gift a goal. However,
Hartley redeemed himself minutes later with an excellent penalty save.
In Division Two, Hartlepool Cricket Club were at home to South Shields Catholic Club and edged the game 2-1.
They were two up after only four minutes, both goals coming from John Dobing. Trevor Gibson sent him clear to tuck away his first and when Gibson tried the same again two minutes later, Dobing charged down an attempted clearance and walked the ball into the net.
Shields grew into the game and Kevin Pout made a good save after his own poor clearance, whilst at the other end Paul Lindsay was just over after a great marauding charge forward from the back.
Cricket were seemingly in control until the halfhour mark when a dreadful mistake at the back allowed Shields in for their goal. After the break, Scott Newbegin curled his effort just wide at the end of a great mazy run and Shields had a penalty appeal waved away by the referee.
Best for Cricket were Newbegin, Lindsay, Ste Lahney, Mark Taylor and Dobing.