Durham Sunday League: Burnside survive scares against New Brancepeth to maintain unbeaten record

The unbeaten leaders were rocked when an outstanding 30-yard free-kick from Ryan Wilkinson, his seventh goal of the season, gave Brancepeth an interval lead.

Burnside levelled with a back-post header and they soon added a second, but Ryan Burton levelled with another stunning long-range free-kick, right into the top corner.

Brancepeth were left bewildered when Andrew Nicholson saw red for a second booking, claiming he had been the man fouled.

Burnside then went ahead with a disputed penalty and added a late fourth.

Craig Ellison (2), Callum Munro and Jamie Bowes hit Burnside’s goals.

Sacriston WMC enjoyed only a third league win as they outgunned mid-table Langley Park 4-1.

Sacriston started the better and scored early on, but Langley weathered the storm and got back into game, equalising with a Daniel Hamilton strike.

Sacriston, though, finished the better and three goals in the last 10 minutes sealed victory.

Luke Wilson (2), David Winter and Chris Mordue notched, with Dean Smith starring. Keeper Lee Wright was Langley’s top man.

Hilda Park slipped into third place after a 9-2 walloping of hosts Framwellgate Moor WMC.

Hilda took the lead through Dan Addison, who tormented the Fram defence all game long and bagged a hat-trick, alongside five-goal Adam Campbell Bell.

Jamie Gordon scored a header to complete the scoring, while Liam Wrightson and James Smith hit the replies.

Ouston Juniors won the battle of the top two in Division Two, cutting Whitehills’ lead to just two points, with two games in hand.

Carl Moxon gave Ouston an early lead, and they should have added more in a strong first-half performance.

Louis Tiplady made it 2-0 after 65 minutes and Ouston withheld a spell of Whitehills pressure with strong defensive performances, with man of the match Paul Hargreaves outstanding.

Whitehills did manage to pull one back but it proved to be just a consolation.

Dubmire WMC climbed to third place on the back of a 2-0 home victory over Pittington, their seventh win in eight league games so far.

Josh Hope and James Gardiner grabbed the vital goals, with keeper John Smith outstanding in preserving his clean sheet.Paul Harbisher shone for Pittington.

Ushaw Moor Cricket Club made it six wins from nine in the league by beating Sedgefield Social Club 6-2.

The cricketers did well to get the game on, given the terrible conditions, and were rewarded with dominance from start to finish.

Despite hitting six goals, Ushaw Moor felt they could have won by a much bigger margin, having hit the post three times and squandered half a dozen one on ones.

Scott Nattrass bagged a hat-trick, with Michael Abson, sub Lewis Cook and Stevan Storey, with a fine shot from distance, also on target. Sedgefield capitalised on defensive errors for both consolations.

Houghton Chilton Lodge stayed second-bottom after a 4-2 defeat at Grange Villa, who are up to fourth-top.

Lodge had a couple of decent chances in the opening half hour, but Ryan Smith gave Villa the lead from outside the box,

Liam Mitchell doubled the lead on 38 minutes following good work by Ben Jefferson.

It was 3-0 early in the second half as Micky Gray’s cross caused confusion in the six-yard box and Joe Murray pounced to stab home a loose ball.

Andrew Bowes pulled one back when Villa failed to clear a ball into the box, but Mitchell quickly restored the three-goal advantage from Fidele Doguie’s neat pass.

Lodge cut the deficit late on when Jordan Hook diverted his attempted headed clearance past his own keeper for an own goal from Ross Meenaghan’s cross.

In stoppage time, Mark Emmerson was adjudged to have fouled a Lodge forward in the area, but Adam Hinde’s resulting penalty was brilliantly saved by Jimmy Davidson.

Kieron Barker shone for Lodge.

Lumley Snooker Club dominated away to Chester Garden Farm RAR and deservedly ran out 3-0 winners to climb to sixth.

Keeper Glenn Morton starred in vain for Farm.

Gilesgate Woodman Inn hit back from 2-0 and 3-1 down to force a draw against promotion rivals Ferryhill Community Hub in Division Three.

Hub struck twice inside 15 minutes, but Woodman’s Richard Begg pulled one back only to be rocked by a third goal for the visitors.

A big push from Woodman got two more goals back to level matters, through strikes from Andrew Wright and debutant Lewis Turnbull.

The game could have gone either way in a frantic finish, but a point apiece was a fair result.

Daniel Petts shone for Woodman, while two-goal Alex Quinn stood out for Hub, whose other marksman was Brad Wilkinson.

Hetton New Inn deservedly outgunned lowly Witton Gilbert Club 4-1, with Martin Welch the home hero.

James Noble plundered an impressive hat-trick to steer New Inn home, with Callum Cowie coming off the bench to make it four.

David Calcutt notched for Witton, whose star man was Joel Layton.

Durham Rangers rose to third place thanks to a convincing 5-0 success at Quarrington Hill.

The game was won in the first half as Rangers took advantage of a poor display from the hosts to turn around four goals to the good.

Star man Kenny Wilks fired a clinical hat-trick, backed by a double from Charlie Salicki.

Third-top Ouston Cherry Tree’s long unbeaten run ended with a 3-1 defeat at Sedgefield St Edmund’s in the only Premier Division game.

Ryan Drummond fired Tree ahead at the break, from Fryer’s flick, but Saints dominated the second period, with two-goal sub Kieran Parnaby, just 17, and John Maddison netting.

Ferryhill Celtic pulled off the ultimate smash and grab to progress to the semi-finals of the Durham Sport League Cup.

Newton Aycliffe Huntsman created a host of chances that they couldn’t convert, and Ferryhill punished them with a strike worthy of winning any game.

Celtic caught Aycliffe on the break and Jason White’s wonder strike from 20 yards gave keeper Barry Poskett no chance.