Wearside League: West End avenge cup final agony with thrilling success at Leam Rangers

Sunderland West End (red/white) take on Leam Rangers in their recent cup final

The Ford Quarry men avenged their recent Durham County Trophy final shoot-out defeat to Leam Rangers by beating the Gateshead side 4-3 away in a thriller.

The Wearsiders remain fifth, but they are now 16 points off top spot, with four games in hand.

West End raced into a 2-0 lead early in the game, with Brad Wilson’s goal in the very first minute added to by a chip from Kevin Gordon, 11 minutes later.

Leam Rangers pulled one back through Chris Lowther, when he beat keeper Graham Pickering.

Just after half-time, Wilson restore West End’s two-goal advantage, but Leam kept fighting and pulled a second goal back, courtesy of Carl Taylor.

Soon after. Lee Smith fired the visitors’ fourth goal and it proved decisive as they had to hang on to ensure all three points after Leon Kane hit a third for the lowly hosts.

Annfield Plain lost 2-0 at home to Richmond Town.

The Dalesmen opened the scoring after 52 minutes, with Michael Gunnell heading a corner past goalkeeper Grant Bowman.

With 15 minutes remaining, an own goal from Kasey Glendinning doubled Richmond’s lead and moved them up to seventh place.

All three of last night’s Northern League games were postponed because of waterlogged pitches.