Bell tolls as Waldridge Park seal second successive promotion

Echo reporter

WALDRIDGE Park sealed a second successive promotion, routing bottom club Burnmoor JFC 10-0.

Adam Campbell Bell produced an excellent finish in off the post, following a fine passing move in just the second minute, and Waldridge never looked back.

The home keeper made a series of great saves, but Steven Dobbing ran into the box and rounded the keeper to tap in for 2-0. Bell scored his second from Chris Rooney’s pass, finding the top corner, then Chris Days beat the onrushing keeper to a through ball and slotted home.

Bell completed his hat-trick from Dobbing’s pass to make it five by the interval.

Bell and Dobbing each netted twice on the restart, then man of the match Bell took his tally to six late on.

Dubmire WMC saw their relegation confirmed by a 4-3 defeat at home to West Rainton.

Mark Liddle, James Gardiner and Jed Croft had Dubmire three goals up, giving them the chance of staying up, but Rainton stormed back to win, thanks to strikes from Graeme Brenkley and sub Adrian Dawson.

Stephen Donkin starred in vain for Dubmire, with Andrew Hope outstanding for Rainton.

Bishop Middleham clinched their survival with a hard-fought, scrappy 1-1 draw at New Brancepeth WMC.

Middleham managed to weather the storm with some top quality goalkeeping and defending and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when John Steel was brought down in the area.

Middleham held firm until a right-wing cross was finished off well by Ricky Box, but keeper Stephen Heslop’s man-of-the-match performance inspired the visitors and they levelled when Jake Pearson tapped home a corner to guarantee their survival. Ryan Wilkinson starred for Brancepeth.

Houghton Wild Boar All-Stars edged a 1-0 home victory over Langley Park Rams Head.

The match was stalemate until the 80th minute when Houghton’s Dean Clark was upended in the penalty area and Liam Lusk neatly put the resulting kick away. In the last minute, a high-flying lunge from Dan Moses brought down Houghton’s Dan Brotherton and saw him red-carded. Craig Fletcher shone for Boar, with Michael Barker best for Langley.

Hetton Lyons CC produced an irresistible performance to hammer title rivals Brandon Sports Club 9-1 to move eight points clear in the Premier Division.

Lyons dominated from start to finish and were clinical in front of the goal against a depleted Brandon side, who could not cope with the attacking threat.

Robbie Bird enjoyed a day to savour, hitting four goals, backed by doubles from Max Stoker and Conor Winter, while sub Jack Pounder also notched. John Kidd fired a late consolation for Brandon.

Houghton Comrades climbed into second place after demolishing bottom club Coxhoe WMC 6-1.

Doubles from Joe Calvert and Callum Munro led the way for Comrades, with Gary Davison and man of the match David Vincent also on target, while David Whitehead responded.

Sacriston Cricket Club drew 2-2 in an entertaining clash with Sherburn Village, with Gavin McCormack and sub Rob Draper netting.

Hilda Park enjoyed a bright start when Jonathan Yip was fouled in the box and Chris Cuthbertson converted the penalty, but visitors Newton Aycliffe WMC hit back well to run out 6-2 winners.

Aycliffe levelled from the spot then went ahead right on half-time. Aycliffe extended their lead to 4-1 before Marc Smith produced a Bergkamp-like finish to give Hilda a lifeline.

The visitors, whose marksmen were Lewis Wing (3), Kieran Megran, Liam Cooper and Rob Moncur, finished strongly to hit two more goals.

Chester Britannia completed their First Division campaign with a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to much-weakened Ferryhill Dynamoes.

The loss sees them sit in second place on 39 points, with only Washington Cross Keys capable of denying them promotion.

Midway through the first half, a raking through ball from Callum Walton found Reece Marshall, who slotted the ball past the keeper. Britannia pressed hard for a late leveller, with a little bit of luck and some magnificent saves by visiting keeper Ryan Farley, denying them.

Washington Cross Keys, with six games still to play, won 3-1 at Ouston Cherry Tree, who had Mickey Ross on target with a consolation free-kick after falling three goals behind in the opening 15 minutes. Ouston also missed a penalty.

Champions Chilton WMC roared back from three goals down to lead 4-3, but Sacriston WMC scored a late equaliser on the break to grab a point.

Man of the match Vinny Gash plundered a treble for Chilton, with Kurt Pickford also notching,.

Third Division leaders Washington Cricket Club moved five points clear thanks to a hard-earned 1-0 home win over Framwellgate Moor WMC.

Jonathan Grainger’s strike proved the differene between the sides, with Philip Ingram and Jack Rutter the respective star men. Washington are five points ahead of second-top Pelton Crown, but their rivals have four games in hand.

Ferryhill Community Hub and Kelloe WMC shared the spoils in a4-4 thriller.

Daniel Lowe, Steven Carruthers and Steven Ferguson (2) struck for understrength Kelloe, while two-goal Nathan Wall, Michael Couch and Dan Gilyeat responded.

Hetton New Inn proved too strong for a hugely depleted Pittington side, who produced a big improvement on their previous performance but are glad to see the end of their season. Star man Josh Hugill struck for Pittington.

Houghton produced an impressive display to hammer hosts Newton Hall Jovial Monk 9-2 in Division Four, moving five points clear in third place.

A mixed first half saw Houghton take the lead with a Lee McBeth penalty on 11 minutes, after a foul by Dan Surtees, only for Newton Hall to rally.

Liam Oudnie equalised on 25 minutes, from a Matt Williamson cross, then they went ahead 10 minutes later as David Wile crossed for Williamson to produced a neat finish. McBeth levelled by the break, then Houghton went from strength to strength on the restart, going on to hit seven unanswered goals.

McBeth completed his hat-trick a minute into the second half before James Carmen added a fourth and sub Andrew Brooke got in on the act with a brace.

McBeth was not finished, though, and he completed a second hat-trick in the final 15 minutes, netting on 75, 85 and 88 minutes. Levi Scott was man of the match for his efforts in midfield, while Chris King got the nod for Monk.

Chester Garden Farm RAR revelled in an astonishing 12-goal haul from Ryan Johnson as they ruthlessly dismissed High Shincliffe Avenue 15-3.

Dan Johnson added a double, with Jordan Gibson also on target for the table-toppers. Garden Farm lead second-top Durham County by three points, but their rivals, who were without a game last weekend, have two matches in hand.

Fencehouses’ great performance saw them ease to a 3-0 win at Washington Jays. All three goals came in the first 25 minutes.

David Finch, star man Grant Craig and Dan cummings bagged the vital goals.

Bowburn beat visitors Chester-le-Street AFC 3-1. Bowburn took the leads in the 54th minute with Lee Jennings finishing from close in. Chester’s Miller Fletcher equalised, but Bowburn regained the lead when Andrew Dunn converted from the penalty spot.

Daniel Crisp set the seal on Bowburn’s victory with a shot from outside the area.

Quarrington Hill took command early in the second half to outgun Witton Gilbert Travellers Rest 4-1 after a tight first period. David Calcutt notched for Rest.