Northumberland Leagues Preview
May 31 2008 The Journal
SWALWELL are riding high at the top of the Wellstream Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League after six straight wins, but it looks like Ryton have the power to push the champions all the way.
The pair recorded Bank Holiday doubles, and then Ryton demonstrated their potential by knocking Swalwell out of the Division A league cup on Thursday night.
It is intriguing to note the two sides are not scheduled to meet in league action until the end of June, with the reverse fixture coming on the very last day of the season.
Swalwell continue their league campaign with a home game against Newcastle City today but will have to do without professional Nicky Phillips who has a broken finger and could be out for up to six weeks. Another absentee is Mark Gray who is replaced by George Nevin.
Ryton also have home advantage against Leadgate who will be unchanged following their first win of the season last Monday.
Other than the club just above them the surprise package so far has been Sacriston. With four wins they lie in third place, just nine points behind Ryton.
They will start as heavy favourites today when they take on a Benwell and Walbottle side who are flirting with the relegation places. The home side have Ian Pattison replacing Phil Peel, while Harry Hubber should be available again.
Lintz got their season up and running with two victories over the Bank Holiday programme, but Anthony Ward, who has been performing well, misses the game at Backworth, although Gary Christie and Trevor Wilson return.
Ashington go into their home match with Annfield Plain without the influential Michael Thewlis, Jonathan Sadler takes his place.
For Plain there are wholesale changes with John Maughan, Mark Longstaff and Saqib Khan being replaced by Mark Carlin, John Newstead and Lee Harrison.
Tynedale , too, have three in and three out for the match at Shotley Bridge – Joe Mills, Craig Barber and Liam Pringle coming in for Neil Clark, Alex Thompson and Neil Scandle. Bridge will be missing Aman Dhindsa who is taking exams, John Stokoe and Will Cleaver return.
Like Swalwell, Kirkley still carry a perfect record in their own league. Following five consecutive victories the club top the Three Counties Northumberland League Premier Division by 20 points from Corbridge.
But the two go head to head today and with unchanged Corbridge enjoying home advantage this could be their big chance to claw back a lot of the ground.
The fixture computer has also decided to throw the third and fourth placed sides together on the same day for good measure, Warkworth playing hosts to a Bedlington team who have gone a long way towards consolidating in the top flight.
Blue Flames are still breathing fire over the decision not to allow them a replacement professional for Scott Neeson who has had to return to Australia due to a family illness.
They go into today's home game with Heaton Park missing Mark Moody but have a ready made replacement in David Purvis. Unchanged Park need something to lift their spirits as they are already firmly entrenched in a relegation slot.
Fellow strugglers, Clara Vale, are only slightly better off so they too need to get something from their home game with a Bomarsund Welfare side who have surprised a few people this season.
Mark Allen returns to the Bates Cottages team for the match with Stocksfield, and Michael Fenwick retains his place after an excellent innings last week.
Gary Purvis plays his first game of the season for Blyth after recovering from a bad back, and Surjit Singh also plays as Martin Hughes and Jimmy Purvis are unavailable for the game against Alnmouth.
CHRIS WEST
