Wearside League: Silksworth CW driven on by TWR Shipowners' Cup final date

Sunderland West End could even meet neighbours Silksworth CW in an all-Sunderland final of the TWR Shipowners’ Cup.

Silksworth are “relatively happy with the season so far, but would like to have got a few more wins to push us up the table,” according to secretary Michael Curtis.

Curtis added: “Other teams have made good signings and teams like Hebburn Town Reserves have improved the league too.

“We lost a couple of players to other sides in the Northern League after our good season last year and have replaced those with youth, so it’s more of a building season with those players getting used to the level and improving all the time.

“Hopefully that approach will stand us in good stead for the future.

“We will take a positive approach into our remaining games and look to win as many as possible.

“We also have the Shipowners Cup final to look forward to.

“It would be great to win that as it’s about 64 years or so since Silksworth last won it, so I’m told!”

West End are having an excellent season and are fifth in the league, although they have not applied for promotion to the Northern League.

Manager Anthony Nelson insists “they will take it one game at a time, in pursuit of our aims”.

The Ford Quarry club’s impressive squad is already through to the Durham Trophy final and the Monkwearmouth Cup final.

They also have a further opportunity to reach another cup final, as they face Richmond Town this coming Saturday, weather permitting, in the TWR Shipowners’ Cup semi-final.

Boldon CA are fourth and gunning for promotion, after applying for the step-up into the Northern League.

Secretary Kevin Oliver said: “We are trying to get promoted, so every game is really like a cup final to us in the run-in

“We still have an outside chance of promotion. This is one of our better seasons, reaching the semi-finals in a couple of cups, and we’re currently lying fourth in the league.

“This is one of the best squads we’ve had for a long time.

“There’s been a high expectation to get promotion, with a proper togetherness in the squad, which I have not seen before at Boldon.

“Our manager, Paul Mossa, is unfortunately leaving us at the end of the season, so we’re now looking for a new manager for the 2018/19 season.”

Interested parties should contact Kevin Oliver on [email protected]

Hebburn Town Reserves sit in second place, a point behind Cleator Moor Celtic with 10 games to go - a brilliant effort in their first season.

Manager Kevin Bolam said: “I’m over the moon with the lads.

“We have a very young side, who are ahead of schedule at this minute in time.

“We’ve reached the League Cup final and are still very much in the title race.

“It would be foolish to make a prediction of where we would like to end the season, but we want to stay in the title race as long as we possibly can.”