THE recent surprise defeats for the leading sides suggest that nothing is certain, but while Chester-le-Street have shown some fallibility they still hold an impressive 45 point lead over South North that should ensure they have sufficient petrol in the tank to motor safely through the seven game climax to the season.

And the Bulls have given a fairly clear indication of where their priorities now lie as the Gosforth outfit have rested key player Brendan Ford for today’s home match against Tynemouth to ensure he is fit to make their starting line-up tomorrow when they entertain Liverpool Combination side Northern in the quarter-final of the national club championship.

Chester continue their quest for a second successive title at South Shields where the home side have been puzzling their own supporters all season after a real roller coaster of results.

An opening sequence of five successive defeats earmarked the Shieldsmen as clear relegation candidates at the time, but a remarkable turnaround saw them win four out of five to surge up the table and make a nonsense of their early season troubles.

However, they are currently on a run of four games without a win, and the opening sequence, where points were few and far between, has come back to haunt them as they are still embroiled in a relegation battle.

They field the same team as last week for the visit of the Cestrians, which means no Gordon Muchall who was in the Durham side playing at Basingstoke against Hampshire this week. However, Chester have their own selection problems with Graeme Cessford confirmed as missing the rest of the season with an achilles injury.

With Cessford out of the equation it would have been nice to have a fit again Luke Evans back in the side, but the club are unsure as to whether he will be cleared to play, and with skipper Quentin Hughes and star man Richard Waite both unavailable the champions have delayed naming their side.

Stockton are only six points above South Shields and therefore they, too, need to keep performing to stay away from the danger zone. A four game unbeaten run should give the Teessiders confidence going into today’s home game with Blaydon, although skipper Kevin Ward is missing with Dave Seymour replacing him.

The visitors are just starting to show the form that made them runners-up last season - they have won four of their last six, with last week’s demolition of South North the icing on the cake –and they are able to put the same team out at Grangefield.

Chris Rushworth didn’t make the Durham starting line-up for the championship match, but he was in the squad so Sunderland bring a fit-again Michael Cairns straight back into the side for the trip to Gateshead where the home team bring in John Devenport for Jonny Foster.

The Wearsiders should be safe having halted their disastrous run of results with a win and a draw, whilst Fell are just two points above Sunderland at the moment so the prize for the winners is undoubted mid-table security.

In today’s other games Benwell Hill have to reckon without Phil Nicholson for their home game against Durham Academy, and Hetton Lyons are missing opening bat Paul Riddle when they travel to Jesmond to take on rock bottom Newcastle.