SHILDON Fox and Hounds booked a crunch J&A Trophy semi-final clash with league leaders Masons Arms after they beat their Division Three rivals Aycliffe Village in this close quarter-final.

Goals by Stephen Hall on either side of half-time made sure of Fox's passage to the last four.

It means only high-flying Masons Arms - on paper the best team in the league - stand in their way of lifting the trophy in their first season with the league after they narrowly beat Quinns 2-1.

Fox boss Wayne Mundy said: "I thought Aycliffe butchered us for the first 20 minutes but then we got to grips with it.

"It was a cracking game of football, very close and there wasn't a bad tackle in the whole of the game.

"It was only two chances in it, and we took them. Both goalkeepers didn't really have a lot to do. We just had two chances and Stephen took them well."

Aycliffe Village manager Steve Moran said: "I thought we battled hard and I couldn't have asked for much more from my players. They competed well, the only difference was the two excellently taken goals but I can't complain with our effort and work-rate."

Masons beat Quinns 2-1 thanks to goals by Liam McRoy and Carl Tyers. Chris Hodgson was on target for Quinns.

Half Moon also booked themselves a semi-final place, against Tudhoe United who beat Green Tree 1-0 with an Arron McGarr goal, after they beat Castle 4-2 with goals by Kris Kavanagh (3) and Paul Burn. Mark Gibbons and Mark Thompson scored for Castle.

Meanwhile, Penny Gill ended their disappointing Kelvin McIntosh Division Two Cup campaign with a 3-1 win at home to Hogans.

In group A, the Gill jumped a place above Hogans and off the bottom with their victory.

Paul Howarth opened the scoring and Lee Bunning added a second before Mark Bell pulled one back for Hogans.

But Paul Jones added a third for the Gill to complete the win.

Their manager Norman Dale said: "It wasn't much of a consolation after losing the first three games of the competition, and we've played better to be honest, it wasn't a great game. It was good to get a positive result but it wasn't the best of displays!"

Defeated boss Shaun Reynolds blasted: "We had enough chances to have won ten games, just how we lost I don't know!"

Meanwhile, in the Division One Cup first round last week, Hunwick Joiners came from a goal down to beat Binchester Social Club 2-1. Jeff Morrow had put Binny 1-0 up, but goals by Ross Brown and Paul Taylor saw Hunwick through.

Middridge Bay Horse jumped a place to eighth in Division One with their sixth league win of the season at struggling Voltigeur.

Voltigeur began the game with only ten men and took a bizarre lead through Zac Hind.

However, goals by Tony Stebbings (3), David Teder, John Hughes, Kyle Allen and Dan Robinson made sure of the three points.

Horse Secretary Kevin Alderson said: "It was a strange game! They took the lead with ten men, but we've got going eventually and it was a comfortable win.

"We've just got to try and pick up as many points as possible now, after what's been a disastrous season for us up to now."

Elsewhere in Division One, Croxdale won 2-1 at Thorns with goals by Gavin Bell and Craig Flowers. Shaun Longthorne scored for Thorns.

In Division Two, Browney won 4-3 at Belvedere with goals by Andrew Nicholson (2), Karl Turner and Scott Bryden.

In Division Three, Fox and Hounds won 5-0 at home to Horndale Celtic with goals by Glyn Porter (3), Steven Bowen and Adrian Dee.

Bishop Masons won 5-0 at home to Masons United with goals by James Barron (2), David Bowes, Scott Walton and Matthew Saunders.

* The next league meeting will take place at the Fox and Hounds in Kirk Merrington on Wednesday 4th April from 8pm.

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RESULTS: Division One Cup Round One: Binchester SC 1, Hunwick 2.

Kelvin McIntosh Division Two Cup: Week 3, Group B: Penny Gill 3, Hogans 1.

J&A Trophy quarter-finals: Half Moon 4, Castle 2; Green Tree 0, Tudhoe 1; Aycliffe Village 0, Shildon Fox 2; Masons Arms 2, Quinns 1.

Division One: Thorns 1, Croxdale 2; Voltigeur 1, Bay Horse 7.

Division Two: Belvedere 3, Browney 4.

Division Three: Fox and Hounds 5, Horndale Celtic 0; Bishop Masons 5, Masons Utd 0.

FIXTURES: Sunday: Division One Cup Round Two: Masons Arms v Quinns, North Briton v Hunwick.

Kelvin McIntosh Division Two Cup: Group A: Week Two: Hogans v Eldon Arms. Group B: Week One: Half Moon v Green Tree, Victoria v New Brancepeth.

Division Three Cup: Group A, Week One: Bishop Masons v Fox and Hounds, Shildon Fox v Navy Club.

Group B: Week Two: Aycliffe Village v Southerne Club, Horndale Celtic v Masons United.

Division One: Tudhoe v Bay Horse.

Division Two: Browney v Shildon Athletic.

Division Three: EBAC v Castle.

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Great Ayton v Fox Inn

The FA Cup game at the Riverside and work commitments forced both clubs to field changed teams.

The first half was scrappy with both sides finding it difficult to get any flowing football.

For Ayton Simpson and Johnson were working hard in midfield but they were prevented from turning this dominance to their advantage due to some determined defending but Large and Grant in the Fox defence.

Fox had a real chance when Burnett rifled in a shot only to see Ayton keeper, Johnson pull off a point blank save.

The second half had more goalmouth incident but still lacked any creative football to entertain the crowd.

Midfield dynamo, Whitaker, was showing great individual skill in an attempt to seize the initiative for the Fox forcing a misstimed challenge by Marshall which allowed Burnett through, once again a point blank save from Johnson saved the day.

Ayton had some good attempts at goal, Ian Johnson heading over the bar and Revoise hitting a blistering shot after a strong run from midfield only to see the ball smack off the crossbar. A well flighted corner fell for Murray to turn on a sixpence and get in a great shot but once again the ball hit the post.

Results: League Cup semi-final: Annandale Hotel 2 Boosbeck St Aidans 5.

Eileen Hodgson Bowl semi-finals: Brotton Railway Arms 1 Redcar Rugby Club 0, Staithes Ath 3 Goldsborough 0.

League Cup semi-final: Boosbeck Utd 2 Maynard Arms 3, Carlin How 3 Whitby Fishermen 2,Gt Ayton 0 Fox Inn 0, Lingdale Utd 7 Britannia FC 3, Loftus Ath 10 Hinderwell 1, Scarborough Junior Cup semi-final: Lewalholm 0 Fishburn Park Res 0 (4-2 after penalties)

Fixtures: Annandale Hotel v Hinderwell, Boosbeck Utd v Fox Inn, Goldsborough v Gt Ayton, Lealholm v Lingdale Utd, Lingdale Tavern v Boosbeck St Aidans, Loftus Ath v Maynard Arms, Redcar Rugby Club v Carlin How, Staithes Ath v Whitby Fishermen.