Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson looks back on a season full of incident and picks out his North-East team of the season.

GOALKEEPER
Costel Pantilimon (Sunderland)

Having started the season as Sunderland’s second-choice goalkeeper, Pantilimon barely put a foot wrong after replacing Vito Mannone in early November.

An agile shot-stopper whose height enables him to successfully command his penalty area, Pantilimon was a key factor in Sunderland’s successful survival bid, with his 11 clean sheets coming despite the deficiencies of those playing in front of him.

One of his best performances came in this month’s crucial goalless draw with Arsenal, with a succession of excellent saves helping the Black Cats claim the point that confirmed the retention of their top-flight status.

RIGHT-BACK
Daryl Janmaat (Newcastle)

The Northern Echo:

The Dutchman is Newcastle’s sole representative in this season’s North-East XI, and aside from an uncharacteristic rush of blood that led to his dismissal at Leicester, his performances were the only reliably impressive thing about the Magpies’ campaign.

Signed from Feyenoord to replace Mathieu Debuchy last summer, Janmaat’s energy, drive and commitment enabled him to shine despite his side’s defensive frailties.

He provided some valuable cover at centre-half in the second half of the campaign, but his best position is undoubtedly right-back and he provided a rare touch of class whenever he pushed forward to join in Newcastle’s attacking.

CENTRE-HALF
Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough)

The Northern Echo:

Middlesbrough boasted the best defensive record in the Championship, and despite struggling with injury in the second half of the campaign, Ayala emerged as the leader of the back four.

Adept in both the air and on the floor, the Spaniard shackled most of the division’s leading strikers, and while Aitor Karanka tended to shuffle his pack on a regular basis, it was telling that Ayala played whenever he was available.

He also offered a significant threat in the opposition’s penalty area, scoring five goals over the course of the campaign, and his error in Monday’s play-off final should not detract from an otherwise impressive season.

CENTRE-HALF
Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough)

The Northern Echo:

If Ayala was the rock at the heart of the Middlesbrough back four, then Gibson was the emerging force who complemented him perfectly. Given that he is still only 22, the sky is the limit for the England Under-21 international.

Fiercely committed, but also an astute reader of the game, Gibson improved as the season wore on and ended the campaign as an established member of the starting side, relegating both Jonathan Woodgate and Kenneth Omeruo to bit-part roles.

He was only involved in two of the opening seven games of the season, but started all bar two of the club’s last 27 matches, underlining his growing importance to Karanka’s plans.

LEFT-BACK
George Friend (Middlesbrough)

The Northern Echo:

A firm fans’ favourite thanks to his tough-tackling approach and extensive community involvement, Friend established himself as one of the most highly-rated players in the Championship over the course of the last ten months.

Defensively solid and resolutely unwilling to shirk a 50-50 challenge, Friend’s chief strengths lie in his desire to rampage forward and his ability in possession.

He helped set up a number of important goals, with his seemingly endless energy enabling him to tear up and down the left flank for the full duration of a game. Holding on to him could be a key challenge in the next couple of years.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD
Grant Leadbitter (Middlesbrough)

The Northern Echo:

Adam Clayton and Lee Cattermole have both enjoyed successful seasons, but Leadbitter has been the linchpin of Middlesbrough’s midfield efforts over the last nine months and gets the nod. He would also wear the captain’s armband in the North-East select side.

His leadership qualities have been a major factor in Boro’s presence at the top end of the Championship table, while his work rate, pressing and tackling ability have helped the Teessiders establish a reputation for defensive proficiency.

His key role is to protect those playing behind him, but his wide range of passing has also sparked numerous Boro attacks and he finished the season with 13 goals to his name, a remarkable return for someone playing in such a deep-lying position.

RIGHT MIDFIELD
Albert Adomah (Middlesbrough)

The Northern Echo:

While Aitor Karanka tended to chop and change the player on the left-hand side of Middlesbrough’s midfield, it was telling that despite considerable competition, Adomah was invariably the person who got the nod in the right-midfield slot. His performances more than merited his manager’s faith.

His pace and direct running enabled him to trouble a succession of Championship defences, while his work rate and willingness to track back meant that the full-back playing behind him was rarely exposed.

If anything, his performances improved as the season wore on, and he was the most influential player in both legs of Boro’s play-off semi-final win over Brentford, with his goal at the Riverside a fitting reward for an excellent display.

CENTRAL MIDFIELD
Tom Portas (Darlington)

The Northern Echo:

Portas was the driving force behind Darlington’s promotion-winning season, with his performances resulting in him dominating the club’s presentation evening earlier this month.

He took both the Players’ Player of the Year and the Sponsors’ Player of the Year accolades having played an integral role in the team after dropping down a division from Whitby Town last summer.

He showed his class throughout the campaign, maintaining a consistently high level of performance and claiming Darlington’s Goal of the Season award with a rasping drive against Bamber Bridge after he dribbled with the ball from halfway.

LEFT MIDFIELD
Lee Tomlin (Middlesbrough)

The Northern Echo:

Is he better as a central midfielder playing in the ‘number ten’ role, or is he more dangerous cutting in from the left-hand side before shooting on his favoured right boot? Either way, Tomlin has just completed his best season as a professional.

He has always had an abundance of talent, and there were moments during the campaign when his technical ability appeared to be out of kilter with the usual standard of the Championship. The flick on the edge of the box before he hit the post at Manchester City was a notable highlight.

However, it was the 26-year-old newly-discovered willingness to track back and close down opponents that made him such a valuable member of the Middlesbrough midfield, and which no doubt endeared him to his manager.

CENTRE-FORWARD
Graeme Armstrong (Darlington)

The Northern Echo:

Armstrong was Darlington’s second summer signing from Whitby and made a huge impact as the Quakers won promotion via the play-offs.

The striker found the net 26 times, often scoring the big goals in the big games. Three came in league matches with Spennymoor Town, and he also scored the winner at promotion rivals Northwich Victoria and one in each of Quakers’ two play-off games.

His diving header in the play-offs against Spennymoor typified his bravery, although such courage saw him come second best in a collision in the play-off final with Bamber Bridge, resulting in an operation to remove half of his pancreas.

CENTRE-FORWARD
Patrick Bamford (Middlesbrough)

The Northern Echo:

When Bamford joined Middlesbrough from Chelsea last summer, he did so as a promising youngster who had sporadically shone during a previous loan spell at Derby. Nine months on, and he leaves as one of the hottest properties in the English game.

His 17 Championship goals saw him named as the division’s Player of the Year, and while his technical ability has never really been in doubt, he also added a steeliness and physicality that enabled him to outwit the best Championship defences.

He proved capable of handling the big occasion, scoring crucial goals against Ipswich, Derby and Wolves in the final two months of the season, and it’s impossible not to wonder what might have happened at Wembley had he been fully fit.

MANAGER
Ronnie Moore (Hartlepool)

The Northern Echo:

When Moore took over as Hartlepool United boss in December, the club were seven points adrift of safety at the foot of League Two. By January, the gap had increased to ten and relegation looked inevitable.

Cue one of the greatest escapes in Football League history. Home wins over Plymouth and Northampton steadied the ship, and when Pools embarked on a run of four successive victories in March, the previously unthinkable was within reach.

A 2-1 win over Exeter in the penultimate game of the season guaranteed survival, with Moore’s extensive experience, tactical nous and resolutely upbeat approach key factors in the club’s remarkable act of escapology.

SUBSTITUTES

Dimi Konstantopoulos (Middlesbrough), Alan White (Darlington), Scott Harrison (Hartlepool), Lee Cattermole (Sunderland), Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough), Jermain Defoe (Sunderland), Ayoze Perez (Newcastle)