19th April

Kelloe Make Third Final off the Season

By Ground hopper.

In the Delayed League Cup Semi-Final Hetton Lyons Cricket Club and Kelloe wmc were both level at 1-1 after 120 Mins Kelloe winning the Penalty Shoot Out. In the First Division the Osborne were 5-1 Winners over Birtley Board Inn.

            Chilton entertained Waterhouses In the second Division and were 5-1 winners, Coxhoe Wmc were 5-1 winners at Pelton Fc, The Lambton Arms Lost 2-1 at West Rainton.

In the Third Division Bishop Middlehanm Cross Keys and Visitors Bowburn Cooperage shared the Points in a 3-3 Draw, Framwellgate Moor wmc won 1-0 at Ferryhill Saints, and New Durham Wmc were 6-0 Home winners over Pelaw Grange Dogs. Short of 3 regular starters Witton Gilbert WMC WERE down to the bare bones for the away game at Durham Bede Lodge.. Witton battled gamely against the team now showing as runners up in the division and there were some notable performances from Grant Boyd and Wes Haley but the player who stood head and shoulders above everyone on the night, Scott Bradley who never stopped running all night and was superb. Witton held firm for half an hour and weren’t troubled a great deal until a slight error by John Smith allowed a clear strike on goal and put us behind. After the interval Witton really had our backs to the wall for spells and went 2 down on the hour The 3rd I’m convinced should have been given offside and the penalty awarded for the 4th was completely baffling. Witton did get one back through David Callcutt and although the better team on the night won the score line didn’t reflect our effort.

            In the 4^th Division Washington Honest Boy were 5-1 winners at Kelloe Davy Lamp, Quarrington Hill Wmc lost 4-0 at Ferryhill Post Boy, The Dynamos were 9-1 home winners Over Durham Garden House. In the last of the midweek fixtures, Chester Cricket Club C entertained Langley Park Rams Head looking to avenge the 5-3 defeat of earlier in the season. The Cricketers made several enforced changes with players unavailable for a variety of reasons. In came Jak Taylor having served his punishment for a Sunday morning no show, Iain Ward, Ryan Pender, Chris Martin, Lee Cuthbertson and Ash Balfour, who was looking to impress after being dropped in the previous game. It was the home side who started the stronger with Balfour impressing down the right flank taking on the fullback with ease and at will. It was Balfour who won a corner, which when not cleared fell to Chrissy Martin in the box and he made no mistake from 8 yards with a scuffed shot which took several deflections on its way into the net. The lead was doubled shortly after when Dan Irving, revelling in a free role behind the striker, accepted a pass from Balfour on the inside right channel, slammed a first time strike into the top left hand corner from 30 yards. Peach. Ten minutes before halftime with virtually there first foray into the Cricketers half, the lead was cut in half when a move down the left resulted in the Langley midfielder finishing from just inside the box. The home side still pressed and Ryan Pender almost opened his account for the club but his deflected effort came back off an upright and away to safety. The home side came out for the 2nd half in the same vein, putting pressure on the opposition captain who had ran the show in the first meeting. Michael Redshaw and Ryan Pender impressing in the engine room to snuff out any threat. Redshaw jr, a threat from every set piece, had a header cleared off the line before Lee Cuthbertson put the match to bed when effort excellent work from John Adamson who turned and crossed for Cuth to cheekily back heel the ball into the net. Nice. With the away side not mustering an effort at goal in the 2nd half it was the Cricketers, who almost put the finishing touches to the game, but after a handball, sub Lee Cooke placed an awful penalty far too close to the keeper and he saved with the last touch of the game.