The Northern Echo Darlington Sunday Invitation League

Division One leaders Coundon Miners Arms made it maximum points from 11 games with a 4-2 victory over fellow championship challengers Team Scania. Scorers for Coundon were John Musgrave (2) and Steve Denham and Rob Mazur with one each. Martin Smith and Andy Kelly scored for Scania.

Champions East End WMC beat Stooperdale RA 6-1 with two goals from Gavin Bell and Simon Middlemiss and one each from Chris Scott and Wayne Irving. Steve Appleby scored for RA.

Second-placed Newton Aycliffe Sports Club lost ground as they were beaten 3-2 by Spraire who produced a spirited performance. Martin Ward put Spraire 1-0 up from close range but Andrew Turner soon levelled. A spectacular Graham Dodsworth strike from a Richie Hindle flick-on and a first Spraire goal by David Ellis put them in control at the break. In the second- half Aycliffe were on top but excellent defending kept them out until five minutes from time when Chris Postle pulled one back, but Spraire held on for a hard-fought victory.

Busters stay fourth after beating Second Division-bound Copper Beech DCS 6-1. Goals from Stuart Cottam (2), Nigel Weller, John Banks, Darren Winter and Rob Wake saw Busters comfortably through. Ged Callaghan scored for Copper Beech.

Brinkburn had a 7-2 victory over the Jack Horners. Scorers for Brinkburn were Jeff Besford, Jason Todd and Stu Ord with two each and Mark Atkinson.

Springfield beat the Northern Echo 4-2. Springfield lead 1-0 at half-time through a Darren Tate goal. Half way through the second-half the Echo equalised through Craig Maddison. Goals from Kevin Stewart and Gary Preston restored the Springfield lead. Echo pulled a goal back with Maddison scoring his second but with five minutes to go Tate grabbed his second and Springfield's fourth.

In Division Two, leaders Nestfield Club maintained their unbeaten run and pulled nine points clear of their nearest rivals with a 6-1 victory over the Greyhound. After falling behind to a brilliantly taken free-kick from Richie Huskinson, Nestfield fought back with four goals from man of the match Mark Cockburn and one each for Joe Kemp and Chris Robinson.

Second-placed Hoppers Transport drew 1-1 with fourth-placed draw specialists Northern Spirit RA. Darren Shooter was on target for Hoppers while Dave Tuschnick scored for RA.

Green Dragon got back to winning ways but remain third after beating Newton Cap 8-3. Fred Wood (4), Elliot McCabe (3) and Mike Brough were the Dragon scorers with James Foster scoring all three for Cap.

Bottom club Hogans gave a much-improved performance against Sadberge but eventually lost the game 2-1.

Northern Spirit Colts continued their recent good run with a 3-1 victory over Smith and Allan, goals scored by Phil Moore, Mark Hamilton and Mark Millman after a goalless first-half.

Bishop Auckland Derby won their first game for a while with a 5-1 victory over Classic World of Fitness.

In Division Three, leaders Shuttle and Loom are now ten points clear of nearest rivals, with games in hand after beating Biglins News 5-1. Scores for the Shuttle were leading scorer Stuart Curry with two and one each for David Arrowsmith, John Wray and Warren Moncur. Colin Hickmans scoring for Biglins.

Hopetown WMC replace AFC Orange in second place after beating them 4-0 in an excellent game with both teams battling and working hard - the difference being that Hopetown took their chances. Hopetown led 1-0 at half-time, Darryl West firing home from the edge of the box after some good work by Ian Caygill.

Straight after the interval two incidents that changed the course of the game. Firstly, the Hopetown keeper pulled off an amazing save from Orange's Kevin Kokes and then Hopetown went straight to the other end and made it 2-0 through Amadip Singh. Substitute Neil Roddy made it 3-0 with a 30-yard free-kick and Mark Armstrong got Hopetown's fourth in the closing stages.

21st All Stars are fourth, making it seven wins out of eight with an 8-0 victory over bottom club The Falchion with goals from Darren Kokes (3) and two each for Aron Dunham and Daniel Haafin and one for Stephen Stacey.

The match between fifth and sixth turned out to be a cracking encounter with Bishop Auckland Kings Head beating Hurworth Albion 1-0 through an Alan Meadows first-half goal.

The game between Royal British Legion (Newton Aycliffe) and AXA Insurance was postponed as a result of Aycliffe Council closing council run pitches due to the foot and mouth outbreak.

Spennymoor Sunday League

ELDON Lane stormed into the semi-finals of the League Cup after an amazing last-ditch fightback over Salvins at home.

Striker Keith Gillham put the visitors 1-0 ahead in the first-half, but winger Michael Davison equalised for Eldon before the interval.

Steve Waldon put the home side 2-1 up only for midfielder Andrew Winter to draw level. Gillham completed an impressive hat-trick to put Salvins 4-2 ahead and the game seemed dead-and-buried with just 80 seconds left on the clock.

But Weldon and Colin Paterson - with a combined age of 83 - managed to claw the cup-tie level and give their side a chance to progress, which they did in extra-time thanks to goals from youngster Daniel Walker and Steffan McGowan.

"It's the most amazing game I've ever been involved with," said Eldon secretary Neil Iley. "We seemed well out of the game but to pull it back in that way was just brilliant. Our goalkeeper David Howe was man-of-the-match, but a lot of credit must go to Weldon, aged 41, and Paterson, who is 42 this week. There can't be many older players in this league! I was also very impressed with young Daniel Walker, who came on as a substitute - he's only 16 but did very well."

Salvins secretary Norman Dale said: "It was obviously extremely disappointing to lose the game when we were 4-2 up with just over a minute left, but credit must go to Eldon, who never give up. It was a great game and played without any malicious fouls and in the right spirit."

Meanwhile, Aycliffe side De Soto were beaten by Croxdale despite another two goals from their top marksman Carl Cockerill.

Croxdale, at home, eventually took all three points after going 1-0 behind in the first half, Cockerill netting. Striker Graham Thompson equalised for the hosts before Christian Schofield put them 2-1 ahead before half-time.

Stephen Newton then grabbed a brace after the break to put the game beyond the visitors, despite a late consolation by Cockerill.

De Soto secretary Paul Eales said: "I think it was a fairly even game in honesty.

"We've played Croxdale previously and there wasn't much between us then. I just think they shaded it this time but it's always difficult playing on their pitch, not that I'm making any excuses!"

Croxdale secretary Phillip Tuck added: "I don't think De Soto were ever really out of the game at any point. They kept plugging away and I think with a bit more luck they could be a very useful side."

In Division Two, Huntsman's promotion bandwagon faltered last week when they dropped two points at Spennymoor side Pit Laddie.

Director of football Stuart Hodgson was furious with his unorganised troops, who arguably mustered their worst performance of the season. The result, which still means Huntsman are the only unbeaten side in Division Two, could seriously hamper their promotion campaign.

"We were absolutely awful," said a disgruntled Hodgson. "I think everyone went out just expecting to win. I don't know if the long lay-off had anything to do with it, but that's no real excuse - we were garbage."

Keith Jones put Pit Laddie ahead mid-way through the first half, but Huntsman quickly equalised through wing-back Nigel Gamblin. Pit Laddie then went ahead again through striker Michael Symons before midfielder Andy Clay drew level.

And just before the break, striker Marc De Lucia netted Huntsman's third with a well-worked goal to put his side 3-2 up at the break.

A scrappy second half then ensued in which neither side looked like scoring. But with just two minutes left, 'keeper Martyn Loughran bundled a cross and dropped it on to the head of centre-back Dale Nelson, who could do nothing but watch the ball drop agonisingly into the goal.

"It was a bit scrappy in places," said Laddie secretary John Rammage. "To be honest, we were expecting to concede a lot of goals because Huntsman have an impressive goalscoring record, but I thought we did well to contain them and I think it was a fair result."

Ironically, Huntsman take on Pit Laddie away again on Sunday in the first round of the Invitation Cup.

Mid-table Locomotion steamed to a powerful 6-0 victory over Darlington Railway.

Midfielder Anth Lockey put the home side in front in the first half and Railway, who had just ten men, managed to hold on until half-time.

But the Locomotion smashed five second half goals to comfortably bag all six points. Striker Chris Small netted two, Dave McGuire scored one, substitute Paul Raine notched the fifth then Lockey added his second.

"It was our best performances of the season," raved Loco manager Paul Raine. "We've had a very slow start to the season but we're starting to pick up a few points now so hopefully we can climb the table. We're confident we can get another result when we take on our arch rivals the North Briton!"

Railway manager Gordon Robinson added: "It was definitely a fair result - they were clearly the better team.

"We were always going to struggle with just ten men, and we were clinging on until half-time, but we became tired in the second half. It's disappointing for the lads who turn up regularly when we have just ten turning up - that's never going to help us."

Results: League Cup, Quarter-finals: Eldon Lane 6, Salvins 4 (aet): N.Aycliffe 2, New Masons 1; Brawns Den 5, Green Tree 4. Division One: Belvedere 5, Horndale 4; Croxdale 4, De Soto 2; Royal 3, North Eastern 4; Grand 1, Old Shildon 4.

Division Two Cup, Semi-final: Masons Utd 2, Royal George 4.

Division Two: Europa 5, Black Horse 6; Pit Laddie 3, Huntsman 3; North Briton 1, B.Loves 1; Henknowle 4, Shildon Ath. 1; Locomotion 6, Railway 0.