Saturday's football May 15


by MALCOLM PRATT
 
CHAMPIONS  Scarborough Town, who together with Teesside Athletic are waiting  to
hear  whether  their applications to join the Skilltrainingltd  Northern  League
have  been  successfull, completed the season sharing the points in a  six-goals
thriller at fifth-top Cleator Moor Celtic.
 
It  looked  as if Boro were on their way to another big win when Wayne  Brooksby
and Matthew Brown fired them into a two-goals lead by the 20th minute.
 
Carl  Cook though presented the home side with a lifeline as his back pass  from
20 yards evaded goalkeeper Craig Devine.
 
Soon  afterwards Robbie Hawkes restored the Seasiders' two-goals cushion but  in
an  exciting end-to-end contest, Craig Scott reduced the deficit and late in the
game Chris Thornton levelled.
 
Scarborough  finish  six  points in front of runners-up Ryhope CW and  with  140
goals, easily beat New Marske's 108.
 
Ryhope though boast the meanest defence and Martin Swales' side conceded only 29
times, two goals fewer than the champions.
 
Third-placed  Teesside  Athletic ended with a 4-2 victory at home to  Windscale.
Top  marksman  James  Kesterton bagged a brace of goals with  Andy  Porritt  and
Dale  Mendum  also  on  target.  Ray Sempill and  Alan  Blair  replied  for  the
Cumbrians.
 
The   only  outstanding  fixture  is  the  Wearside  League  Cup  Final  between
Easington Colliery and New Marske at Easington on Friday (7 pm).
 

Saturday's football May 8

by MALCOLM PRATT
 
A  lone-goal  defeat  in  the  crunch match  at  Scarborough  Town  on  Saturday finally ended Ryhope CW's valiant bid to win the championship.
 
The  Wearsiders  led the table for several weeks but a hectic end to the  season recently began  to  take  its  toll and it is Scarborough  who  finish  in  pole position.
 
Martin  Swales' side, who have enjoyed their best season in more than 40  years, needed nothing short of victory to keep alive their faltering aspirations but an only goal 13 minutes from time set the home fans up for a celebration.
 
Ryhope  suffered  a  blow  in the 73rd minute when Richard Jordan  was  shown  a second yellow card and four minutes later, the deadlock was broken.
 
Dean  Craig  progressed to the by-line and his precision cross was fired  in  at the far post by regular marksman Josh Greening.
 
The  majority of fans in a bumper crowd of 425 went delirious but Ryhope  didn't give  up, however, their efforts failed to produce the two goals  necessary  for victory.
 
Ryhope  end  runners-up and if there is any consolation it is that  they  lifted the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup.
 
Scarborough,  who won the Sunderland Shipowners' Cup, have enjoyed a  phenomenal first season and will end at least five points in front of the Wearsiders.
 
With  137 goals they are by far and away the leading scorers and also boast  the meanest defence, having conceded only 28 times.
 
Jarrow signed off with a 4-1 victory over Annfield Plain at Perth Green courtesy of  goals  by  Peter Kane (2), Chris Lunn and Chris Quinn.  The  visitors'  only scorer was Dominic Elliott.
 
Until   a  week  ago,  Annfield  Plain  enjoyed  a  24-match  unbeaten  sequence stretching  back  to last September but they have lost their final three  games. Even so, they end a creditable sixth-from-top.
 
New  Marske,  who visit Easington Colliery on Friday May 21 in the Final of  the League Cup, also secured a top six rating with a 3-2 win at home to Windscale.
 
Stephen  Baker,  Jamie  Jackson  and Craig Gibbon were the  marksmen  with  Dean Rogers twice on target for the Cumbrians.
 
Despite  leading  at  one stage through Andrew Ross and  Phil  Ross,  Hartlepool ended  on  a  losing note as Gary George (2) and John Murphy  led  Cleator  Moor Celtic to victory.
 

Wednesay's football May 5


by MALCOLM PRATT
 
SILKSWORTH  have  been  unable to match last season's points total of  39  after
losing their last game of the season 4-0 to New Marske.
 
An  own  goal by Trevor Todd gave the Seasiders the lead and shortly before  the
interval Chris Kamara also struck.
 
Gary  Tyzack  had  a  couple of chances to reduce the  deficit  but  New  Marske
finished  strongly  and were rewarded with further goals from Jamie Simpson  and
Sean Mackin.
 
Steven  Smith's side end fifth from bottom, a point short of last season's total
when they were sixth from the basement.
 
Easington  Colliery  end  seventh from top, well short of their top  two  target
which  would  have  assured them of promotion to the  Skilltrainingltd  Northern
League.
 
They  completed  the season in Cumbria where Cleator Moor Celtic won by an  only
goal  scored  in  the  85th  minute.  Gary  George  fired  through  a  crowd  of
players, giving Colliers' goalkeeper Paul Griffiths no chance.
 
Willington  are wooden spoonists for the second consecutive season and they  too
ended with a 1-0 defeat as Paul Hodgson struck for Kirkbymoorside.
 
Despite  scoring  first as Kyle Morris headed in a corner taken by  Shaun  Ross,
Hartlepool lost out to Wolviston for whom Jamie Owens bagged a brace of goals.
 

Saturday's football May 1

by MALCOLM PRATT
 
RYHOPE  CW's  championship  hopes rest on them beating Scarborough Town  at  the seaside  next  Saturday and their rivals losing to  Cleator Moor Celtic  on  the last day of the season.
 
Martin  Swales'  side  were  deposed  from pole position by  Boro  who  enjoy  a two-points lead over their rivals and with an uncatchable goals difference.
 
They  took  their  goals  tally  to  an  amazing  136  in  34  games  when  they comfortably  defeated Annfield Plain, who boasted an unbeaten record  stretching back to last September.
 
But  Boro  were in no mood to concede either points or goals. Nathan  Cook  gave them  an  interval advantage and five minutes into the second period  Joel  Ramm doubled the lead.
 
With  seven  minutes remaining, Josh Greening beat the offside trap and  he  was again on target with just a minute left on the clock.
 
Silksworth  are ending the season with a flourish and made it four wins in  five games, defeating Boldon CA for the first time in the Wearside League.
 
Goalkeeper  Andrew  Hunter  twice parried a shot from Martin Armstrong  but  was beaten at the third attempt. It was Armstrong's initial goal for the club.
 
Eoin  Shannon  tapped  in wide of Hunter and with only 10 minutes  remaining  an exciting  finale  was  set  up as Chris Robinson beat  Silksworth  keeper  David McInley.
 
Silksworth held on and will finish at least sixth from bottom.
 
Ashbrooke  Belford  House  returned  from Cumbria pointless  after  suffering  a two-goals defeat at Windscale.
 
An  excellent  move  involving player manager Mattie Henney  and  Danny  Rowland ended  with  Peter  O'Donnel finding the top corner of the net and in  the  25th minute Shaun Pollen rode a challenge before slotting home.
 
Tommy  Dobbing's  team  ended  the  game with only 10 men  after  a  player  was injured and they had already used their substitutes.
 
Third-top  Teesside  Athletic went down 2-1 to New Marske for whom Shaun  Mackin bagged  a  brace  of goals before James Kesterton reduced the arrears  near  the end.
 
Two  penalties  by Tom Orton and Mark Weldon were no more than consolations  for Coxhoe who by then had conceded five goals to Cleator Moor Celtic.
 
Lee  Dunn (2), Robert Fowler and Gary George had the Cumbrians four goals up  by half  time  and early in the second period, Craig Devine was another  player  to fire home from the spot.
 

Wednesday's football April 28


by MALCOLM PRATT
 
SCARBOROUGH  Town  require just four points from their last three games  to  pip
Ryhope  CW  for  the championship, and this is assuming  the  Wearsiders  defeat
their rivals next week.
 
Martin  Swales' side suffered a rare defeat last night which could prove  fatal.
Easington  Colliery  won  with  an only goal from Kevin Devine  who  fired  past
goalkeeper Josh Carmichael in the 20th minute.
 
Ryhope  enjoyed  a  lot  of possession during the second  period  and  Colliers'
goalkeeper James Winter twice denied Mark Davison with brilliant saves.
 
Scarborough  also  conceded  points  when New Marske held them to  a  2-2  draw.
 
Richie  Playforth and Sam Garvie (pen) netted for New Marske with Josh  Greening
and  Nathan  Cook  (pen) on target for Boro who are four  points  behind  Ryhope
with two games in hand and a significantly better goals difference.
 
It's  been  a  difficult season for Silksworth but 10 points from  the  last  18
convinces manager Steven Smith that his side has turned the corner.
 
They  just  edged Jarrow with a goal by Gary Tyzack who followed the  ball  into
the net after his first effort had been parried.
 
"They  beat  us  7-1  in the earlier game and our  performance  last  night  and
recent results bode well for next season," claimed Smith.
 
Coxhoe  Athletic  need  to win their last game if they are  to  avoid  finishing
second from bottom to wooden spoonists Willington.
 
Following  a  goal-less first half Wolviston went ahead through Jamie Owens  and
on the hour, Owens doubled his team's advantage.
 
There  was  no way back for Coxhoe as Owens set up Danny Shield for  Wolviston's
third goal.
 
Teesside  Athletic  are third-top following victory at Kirkbymoorside thanks  to
an  own  goal by Aaron Rivis and one by Jamie Lee. Uhi Ehimu had  levelled  from
the penalty spot.