Sunday 1st March League Round Up.

TITLE favourites Hetton Lyons CC got back on track in the Premier Division, thumping bottom club Coxhoe WMC 8-0 away.Robbie Bird and Conor Winter both plundered hat-tricks, with Jack Pounder and  Leaders Brandon Sports Club edged a 1-0 victory at Pelton RAOB, who had Carl Ritchie sent off. Stuart Thompson’s second-half goal settled the issue. Brandon are a point ahead of Lyons but have played four games more.

Third-placed Houghton Comrades had Callum Munro on target twice, but hosts Sherburn Village edged a 3-2 victory thanks to two-goal James Ellis and Karl Hutchinson. East Rainton and Sedgefield St Edmund’s served up an entertaining 1-1 draw, with Stuart Bleanch and Joe Peel the respective marksmen. Jonathan Gaunt starred for Rainton.Pelton Crown moved eight points behind Third Division leaders Washington Cricket Club, with six games in hand, after beating Ferryhill Community Hub 3-0.

Robbie Bird

Lee Abbott Sherburn Village Keeper

The wind proved decisive, Crown kicking with it in the second half and firing three goals without reply, thanks to super sub Mark Foster (2) and Dean Stewart.Steven Shaw starred for Crown, Jason Leary for Hub.Bede Lodge SC squeezed home 3-2 in a close clash with Esh Winning Cricket Club, but either side could have won it.Star man Daniel Mann, Andrew Bell and Patrick Harrington steered Bede home, with Neil Heslop and Dean Taylor responding. Dale Morris shone for Esh.Paul Harbisher and sub Joe Cowling earned Pittington a 2-2 draw at lowly Belmont The Shoes, while James Smith netted in vain for Framwellgate Moor WMC, who lost 2-1 to Ferryhill Celtic, who climbed off the bottom with victory in only their sixth league game all season.

Hetton New Inn were good 3-1 winners at Kelloe Davy Lamp, who had Lee Hutchinson on target.Dubmire WMC shared the goals around in a 4-0 Second Division triumph at Bishop Middleham.Star man Stephen Donkin, Mark Liddle, Neil Cook and Elsdon Thompson did the damage.Whitehills maintained pole position, thanks to a 2-0 victory over West Rainton, for whom Scott Redmayne shone, but Waldridge Park stayed a point behind by pipping New Brancepeth WMC 4-3 in a thriller.Ricky Box (2) and David Rutherford struck for Brancepeth, but Chris Days (2), Adam Bell and Richy Ellis gave Park the points.

Durham County Seniors kept their promotion push on track, with Mark Hughes’s goal sinking Langley Park Rams Head 1-0. Matthew Wilkie starred for Rams, Mark Wild for County.Durham County have the edge in the Fourth Division title race after another fine win, 2-0 at Washington Jays.Joe Kerry produced two fine finishes to seal all three points, keeping them level with leaders Chester Garden Farm, who have two games left, while County have three.Garden Farm defeated Bowburn despite having Robbie Mawson sent off, with two-goal Ryan Johnson and Anthony Marsden on target before Sean McGrail hit a late consolation from Daniel Crisp’s cutback.Michael Barron starred for Farm, with Craig Hill best for the hosts.Fencehouses fell behind to High Shincliffe Avenue but soon took command to run out 4-2 victors, with Kriss Jobling’s hat-trick backed by a Sam Jackson strike. Dan Lay was outstandingLumley Snooker Club walloped Witton Gilbert Travellers Rest 5-0, with Scott Bradley starring for the visitors.Chester Britannia moved top of Division One, beating Ushaw Moor CC 3-1, while Chilton WMC slumped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Houghton Chilton Lodge.Chilton just could not cope with the physical opposition and windy conditions, with visiting keeper Martin Armstrong producing an excellent display to back up decisive goals from Andrew Bowes, Dan Thompson and Ross Monaghan.Britannia had star man Joe Hughes (2) and Michael Redshaw to thank for their victory, making it safe with a third goal as Ushaw Moor pushed hard for a last-gasp leveller.

Sacriston WMC outgunned lowly High Handenhold Bird Inn 4-1 after trailing to Marc Wood’s early strike.Doubles from Sam Renwick and Luke Wilson did the damage, with Dean Smith man of the match.Washington Cross Keys impressed in a superb 4-1 victory at Chester Red Lion, with Liam Young and Alan Wilson both netting twice and Gary Allen starring.

Pelaw Grange Dogs ended Ouston Cherry Tree’s unbeaten run with a 3-1 derby success, courtesy of Adam Barrass, Michael Mclean and a freak own goal when a headed clearance bounced off a defender and into the net.Paul Chilton fired Tree’s late reply.

Houghton Wild Boar All-Stars had their dreams of glory in the Durham City Smiles League Cup dashed by a 4-1 defeat to Newton Aycliffe WMC.Liam Cooper (2), Peter Strevens and Mark Brischuk steered the Premier stalwarts through, with sub Daniel Johnston firing Boar’s consolation. Keeper Sean Simpson was outstanding for Boar.

Newton Aycliffe Kepper Steve Richardson