Hathaway and Cope

Stokesley League

Having booked their place in two of the League;s cup finals, Dormans have set about the task of lifting the title.

They started with a 4-0 win over Middlesbrough Post Office and on Wednesday they returned from Redcar with a 3-1 win over close rivals Ennis Square under their belt.

And on Saturday they produced another three points at home to Boosbeck Melbourne Tyres although the result will need to be confirmed by the League Management Committee due to the game being abandoned with Boosbeck only having six fit players.

While Dormans moved within a point of Teesside Athletic, it was a mixed week for B & H Kings Head. They made it through to the final of the Leven Bridge-sponsored Arthur Reed Shield with a 4-0 win over Middlesbrough Post Office but slipped up in the league when they went down 2-1 to Onyx. Needing all the points they can get to keep their slim title hopes alive, Kings Head almost came unstuck last Saturday as well having to come from behind before beating Redcar Coke Ovens 6-5. Coke Ovens raced into a two goal lead before a Brian Crawley free kick reduced the arrears and shortly before half time Paul Round fired home the equaliser after good work from Michael Jones. The second period started just like the first with Coke Ovens going 4-2 up, a lead which they held till 15 minutes from time. Substitute Darren Askew started the second Kings Head comeback beating the offside trap before going through to score and Chris Harrison side-footed the equaliser with ten minutes remaining. A second substitute, Paul Dowson then put Kings Head in front for the first time in the game and they increased their lead still further when Round made it 6-4. A goal from Coke Oven's Ged Blair put the Kings Head through a nerve racking last five minutes but they held firm to secure the much needed three points. Bottom club Huntsman finally secured their first point of the season with a 4-4 draw in midweek against Boosbeck Melbourne Tyres. Unfortunately they could not build on that result on Saturday but still turned in a commendable performance only going down 3-2 at Stokesley after taking an early lead. Stokesley responded well and led at the break with goals from Michael Bulmer and Sean Brown. A second goal from Bulmer shortly after the interval was enough to take Stokesley to victory although the Huntsman did manage to pull a goal back and might well have taken a share of the points if they had not missed a penalty. There was another missed penalty as early as the first minute at Lingdale where the home side failed to take advantage of their spot kick in the game against the Woodman's Arms. Derek Pearson finally put the home side ahead on the hour but yet another penalty, this time successfully converted gave the Woodman's a share of the points. Middlesbrough Post Office drew a blank in their three fixtures last week. As well as going out of the Arthur Reed Shield to the Kings Head and losing out to Dormans in the league, they let slip another game when they went down 3-2 to Tanfield Bros. Their was another high scoring game at Redcar where Teesside Athletic beat Onyx 4-3. Andrew Tunnicliffe scored his first ever goal for Athletic when he headed home with only five minutes on the clock but two goals including one from the penalty spot that also the dismissal of a Teesside Athletic player turned the game on its head. Five minutes from half time however, Kirk Forsyth brought Athletic back on terms when he got on the end of Mark Taylor's cross. The second half saw Onyx regain the lead once again but a battling fight back from Athletic saw them take the game thanks to a stooping header from Forsyth and the goal of the game from Mark Taylor who ran through from his own half before eventually walking the ball round the Onyx keeper for the decisive winner.

Results - Saturday: B & H King's Head 6, Redcar Coke Ovens 5; Dormans FC 1, Boosbeck Melbourne Tyres 0; Tanfield Bros 3, Middlesbrough Post Office 2; Teesside Athletic 4, Onyx 3; Stokesley 3, Huntsman 2; Lingdale FC 1, Woodmans Arms 1.