Wearside League: Silksworth and West End hit five in convincing victories
Silksworth moved up to ninth place after outgunning bottom club Coxhoe Athletic 5-1 at Beechfield Park.
David Stephens was quick off the mark, opening the scoring for Silksworth in the second minute, putting his right-foot shot past goalkeeper Tom Orton.
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Hide AdPaul Naylor made it 2-0 with a right-foot volley after 10 minutes, then Naylor added his second, midway through the first half, to secure a comfortable interval lead.
Stephens scored his second Silksworth goal after 67 minutes, before David Cairns pulled one back with a 75th-minute header, putting the ball out of the reach of goalkeeper Joe Clayton.
Adam Storey completed the scoring for the visitors, firing his right-foot shot under the keeper in the 80th minute.
West End climbed to fourth place, above Boldon CA, after hammering Wolviston 5-1 at Ford Quarry.
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Hide AdBut they had to wait until a minute before the interval to make the breakthrough, as John Butler sent his shot past goalkeeper Spencer Nicholson.
James Cassidy doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 63rd minute, before Butler made it 3-0 with his second goal, eight minutes later.
After 75 minutes, Butler completed his hat-trick, then Mark Robinson added West End’s fifth and final strike, in the 80th minute.
With three minutes remaining, Tony Johnson bagged a consolation for seventh-top Wolviston, firing past goalkeeper Graeme Pickering.
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Hide AdLeam Rangers won 1-0 at sixth-top Richmond Town, with Leon Kane firing past keeper Mark Walker a minute before half-time.
Third-top Hebburn Town Reserves lost 1-0 at home to second-placed Redcar Athletic, whose victory moved them three points above the Hornets.
Redcar are now three points behind leaders Cleator Moor Celtic, with two games in hand.
Hebburn are six points off top spot and have played four matches more than Redcar.
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Hide AdThe all-important goal came in the very first minute, when Adam Preston made no mistake from the penalty spot.
Although Redcar had to play most of the second half with 10 men, when Sam Webster was sent off, Hebburn’s gallant fight could not bring an equaliser.
Harton and Westoe CW edged home 3-2 against visitors Stokesley SC, after falling 2-0 behind to two strikes from Jake Matthews, the first from 20 yards.
On the stroke of half-time, Liam Mulvane pulled one back for Harton, beating goalkeeper Kieran Ezard to take them in at the break 2-1 down.
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Hide AdSeven minutes after the restart, Aaron Coulson levelled the scores, then, after 78 minutes, Coulson scored his second, after a good run from Gavin Strong, to clinch Harton’s win.
Hartlepool walloped hapless Annfield Plain 8-0, with Jamie Tumilty’s hat-trick backed by efforts from Sam Cook, Lee Jones, Ash Clark, Dean Cope and Paul Moss.