Only five games managed to escape the snow last weekend, but fate saw that only one game was postponed in Division One of the Northern Echo Darlington Sunday Invitation League, as Hurworth Albion's game against Bishop Auckland Cricket Club fell victim to the elements.

It was business as usual for league leaders Coundon Forresters though, as they brushed aside fourth-placed Nestfield Club. Steven Butler opened the scoring for the Forresters after ten minutes and Kev Thompson soon doubled that lead from a well worked corner. Man-of-the-match Kev Bromley then played a super ball for Mark Douthwaite to increase the home sides lead before Lee Ellison struck his first of the game to make the score 4-0 to the champions. Nestfield kept plugging away though, and were rewarded when Gary Mitchell pulled a goal back from the penalty spot, only for the champions to turn on the class as Ellison struck twice to complete his hat-trick as the score moved to 6-1.

Nestfield did manage to hit two early goals in the second half to get back into contention though as Rodney Brown notched before Mitchell struck his second goal of the game. Any thoughts of a comeback were soon destroyed however when young substitute Michael Walton notched a brace before Darren Wilson completed the scoring with a delightful chip from outside the area to complete a 9-3 drubbing for Nestfield.

Meanwhile, Newton Aycliffe Sports Club took advantage of East End WMC not being in action as they moved back into second place in the table with a 5-0 victory over Central Club. John Shotton top-scored for the Sports Club with a hat-trick whilst man-of-the-match Wayne Anderson and Ray Stanger also notched, whilst the home side also kept a clean sheet to maintain their record of having the meanest defence in the league.

Away from the championship race, Shuttle & Loom lost ground on the top four as they could only manage a 2-2 draw against bottom side The Brinkburn. Paul Sodaman and Stuart Curry notched for the home side, but The Brinkburn weren't over-awed by their opponents, and a Dave Wilson brace gave them their first point of the season despite them having to soak up so much Shuttle pressure in the dying minutes.

In the only remaining game in the top flight, Spraire RA pushed themselves clear of the bottom three with a comfortable 10-0 victory over a struggling Northern Echo side. Martin Brown top-scored with four goals, whilst Anthony McMaster, Nev Fuller, Danny Richmond, Andrew Blenkhorn, Mark Ralphs and Dean Butler also found the back of the net for Spraire.

Outside of the top division, the only other game to take place was the Division Three clash between high-flying Hope Inn and Haughton BAT.

Haughton showed no respect to their opponents lofty league position however, as they came flying out of the blocks, and they were unlucky not to be a goal ahead in the opening ten minutes as Paul Sinclair shot narrowly wide from 25 yards following a mix-up in the visitors defence. The hosts were applying all the early pressure and eventually took a deserved lead as Paul Cooper beat the offside trap to fire the ball past Andy Moorhouse in the Hope goal. The home sides lead was then doubled as they capitalised on their lead with a string of corners, eventually leading to a second goal as Karl Lockwood scrambled the ball home.

The Hope Inn are a tough nut to crack though, and they increasingly gained a foothold in the game as the first half progressed. The visitors eventually got the goal that their play deserved on the stroke of half time as Stu Hardy fired home from close range following a goalmouth scramble. Worse was to come for Haughton, as Hardy brought the sides level within the opening five minutes of the second half, and with the wind at their backs

the visitors were able to mount a considerable charge for the winning goal.

However, despite their best efforts they were unable to break the equilibrium as Haughton were reduced to limited counter-attacking opportunities. However, with only ten minutes to go the Hope were finally given the breakthrough that they needed as Haughton's Paul Edwards was dismissed as he conceded a penalty. Graham Wedge was charged with the task of completing the Hope comeback, but his weekly struck penalty was turned over the bar by Haughton 'keeper Andrew Rea as the hosts held on for the point despite an incessant wave of pressure in the final ten minutes from the Hope.