South Cleveland Garages Teesside League Review

Thornaby lead by five points from the Boys Club and have played a game more, with games against Carlin How (away), Grangetown (away), Hartlepool (home) and Wolviston Reserves (away) to play out of the top seven, as well as Mackinlay Park, who are fighting a relegation battle, to play away. Weather permitting they will play local rivals Thornaby Youth Club in the MacMillan Bowl quarter-finals this weekend and if they win will face either Second Division Darlington SRM or Richmond Town away in the semi-finals in April.

Grangetown Boys Club: They look to be well out of contention in their quest to retain the championship but results have been mixed between the other possible six teams in contention. The Boys Club have lost the least number of games - two - 2 but have drawn nine matches. Of the top clubs they're to play Carlin How (home), Thornaby (home), Hartlepool (away) and Thornaby Youth Club (away).

BEADS: Third, seven points behind Thornaby, but only two behind Grangetown Boys Club, with a game in hand on Thornaby, they have Hartlepool (Home) Grangetown BC (Away) of the top six to play as well as tough matches against Beale, Richmond, SMG Redstripes and Wolviston, they also face Bedale in the quarter final of the MacMillan Bowl, the winner away to Grangetown or Carlin How, their form during February has won them the Performance of the Month Award, on goal difference from Richmond Town.

Carlin How: They've slipped to fourth on 40 points the same as BEADS, but with a game in hand on the two just above them, and two games in hand on Thornaby, they have Thornaby (Home), Grangetown (Away), as well as their MacMillan Bowl meeting, Hartlepool (Home) as well as matches against Richmond, Nunthorpe and Wolviston.

Thornaby Youth Club: Won both the October and November Performance of Month Awards but are nine points adrift of local rivals and league leaders Thornaby, they have two games in hand on them, and one on both the second and third placed teams. They only have Grangetown (home) out of the top seven to play, but matches against Bedale, Richmond, Fishburn Park will not be walkovers.

Hartlepool: Durham Trophy finalists Hartlepool are sixth with four games in hand on Thornaby FC. Mathematically they could overtake the leaders but with matches against BEADS (away), Carlin How (away), Grangetown (home) and Thornaby (away) face quite a task.

Wolviston Reserves: In 7th place and would seem to be just outside the scope of taking the Championship, but with BEADS (Away) Carlin How (Away) and Thornaby (Home) still to play will have the chance to help decide where the Championship will end up and with New Marske, Mackinaly Park and SMG Redstripes still to play could have a say in who will face the drop into the second division.

Richmond Town: In mid table, a point ahead of their local rivals Bedale, they have had a impressive February and were just piped by BEADS for the performance of the Month Award by goal difference, but did win the Award for December, they have BEADS (Away), Carlin How (Home) and Thornaby YC to play out of the top six, as well as New Marske and Stokesley at the other end of the table. They should progress to the MacMillan Bowl semi-finals, if they avoid a banana skin match against 2nd Division Darlington SRM, a win will bring one of the two Thornaby teams to Richmond.

Bedale: In 9th place, they play BEADS (Home), Hartlepool (Home) and Thornaby Youth Club out of the top six, they face all three bottom teams, Mackinlay Park, New Marske and Stokesley and BEADS again this time in the MacMillan Bowl quarter-finals, if they win they will play Carlin How or Grangetown BC.

Nunthorpe Athletic: After a dreadful start to the season are in tenth, they lost the vast majority of last season's successful team and have built a side that has reached the quarter finals of the RT Raine Trophy, they face Teesside Athletic of the second Division and if they progress, will meet another second division side Billingham Wanderers at home.

Fishburn Park: They Whitby side are in 11th place, six points clear of the four teams who could be the main player in the relegation battle, they only have Thornaby Youth Club (Home) of the top six to play, but have New Marske, Mackinlay Park and Stokesley of the teams below them still to play.

Billingham SMG Redstripes: On 18 points, two more than Stokesley who are just below them, they have BEADS (Home) and Hartlepool (Away) of the top six still to play and have the chance to keep out of the relegation fight as they have both Mackinlay Park and New Marske to play, both away.

Stokesley Sports Club: A point clear of the second bottom team, but have played a game more, they have Hartlepool (Home) and Thornaby YC (Away) of the top six yet to play, with four other Home matches to play to, Bedale, Fishburn, Nunthorpe and Richmond to win points to pull clear of the bottom two.

Mackinaly Park: Second from bottom with the number of good players they have registered its hard to see why they are in this position.

New Marske Sports Club: Are holding up the rest of the division with eight points from 20 games. Had three points deducted but would still be holding the rest up anyway.

Division Two

Dormans: Second Division Leaders and look certain for promotion, they lead the second placed team Teesside Link by five points but have three games in hand with eight more matches to play, they still have Teesside Link (Home), Billingham Wanderers (Home) and Richmond Mavericks (Away) of the teams in with a realistic chance of promotion, they are waiting to see who they play in the semi-finals of the R T Raine, Mavericks or Darlington RA Reserves, have a semi-final of the North Riding Challenge Cup to play this coming weekend against one of the local league sides, and will be favourite to win their mini-league Burness Plate group to reach the semi-finals of that competition, they won the Performance of the Month Award for January and will be an asset to the first division.

Teesside Link: In second place having played 17 games, five points adrift of the leaders, they could gain promotion, but with only five matches remaining, although two are against Dormans and the second favourites Richmond Mavericks, they may have to rely on other teams beating rivals, as well as winning all their games, they could go through to the semi-finals of the Burness Plate, but in a three team group in which all games have so far all being drawn, will need to beat their other group members to progress.

Teesside Athletic: Third in the table, but only have one league game to play, they are on level points with Richmond Mavericks who should overtake them, they have an important Raine Trophy match against first division side Nunthorpe Athletic, with a possible semi-final match against fellow second division Billingham Wanders beckoning, they have played two matches in the Burness Plate, with a win and a defeat so need to pick up points to have a chance of getting into the semi-finals.

Richmond Mavericks: They won the Performance of the Month Awards for October and November, but successful involvement up to the semi-finals of both the North Riding County and Challenge Cup as well as other outside cup competitions has seen them fall behind in league involvement. They have withdrawn from the Burness Plate min-league because of this and still have Darlington RA Reserves to play in the Raine Trophy, with Dormans waiting in the semi-final, they have eight more league games to play.

Billingham Wanderers: Fifth on the same number of points of the Maverick just above them, they have both Dormans and Maverick to play (away), are waiting to see who they meet in the semi-final of the Raine Trophy, Mavericks or Darlington RA and top their Burness Plate group with two wins from two and look likely to progress to the semi-finals. Darlington Albion: On the brink of folding just three weeks ago, are in mid-table with six matches to play, they will be tough opposition for both visiting Dormans, Teesside Link and Mavericks if they can repeat their early season form, and if they do could still progress in the Burness Plate, but will need to beat Dormans twice to throw open the min-league, a tall order?

Darlington RA Reserves: Have struggled to get over the tragic loss of their manager, Paul Adamson, they have completed seventeen matches and are just below the mid-way point of the League, they have Mavericks to play in the Raine Trophy, with a semi-final berth against Dormans awaiting, a tall order to reach the final, but could it be a fitting tribute to Paul?

Darlington Cleveland Bridge: In eighth having only played 14 matches, their involvement in outside competitions has restricted their league commitments and with Dormans and Richmond Maverick to play in the League, as well as Mavericks in the Darlington Charity Cup will be playing number of evening fixtures. They could also reach the semi-finals of the Burness Plate.

North Ormesby: They've pulled themselves out of the re-election zone, but with both Dormans and Mavericks to face at home, need to pick up points to keep clear. They have five more leagues games to play.

Darlington SRM: In 10th place, they a prestigious MacMillan Bowl quarter-final match against Richmond Town to play, hopefully this coming weekend, they could slip further down the league unless they can pick up points from their remaining six matches, but with home matches against local rivals Darlington Cleveland Bridge and RA Reserves, and away to North Ormesby, Mavericks and Whinney Banks, it will not be easy, they top the three team group of the Burness Plate, with two draws, and will be hoping to emulate and go one better than last season when they were beaten 2-1 by Teesside Arriva (Now Hartlepool) in the final.

Guisborough Town Reserves: The latest winners of the Performance of the Month Award for February, with three wins; a 1-0 win at Darlington RA in the League and the double over North Ormesby in their Burness Plate mini-league.

Whinney Banks: They are propping up all the rest of two divisions, they have completed nineteen games and are a point behind Guisborough Town, but they face difficult matches away to Billingham Wanderers and Richmond Mavericks and at home to Darlington SRM who themselves will be looking for points to keep them above both Whinney banks and Guisborough Town, they also face a tough task to progress into the Burness Plate, as having played four games, have won only once, but lost the other three of a tough group, topped by Dormans.