Stanley FC showed their battling qualities when they came back from two goals down to record an 8-3 win in the Stanley Sunday League at table-topping Grange Villa.

The league's leading marksman Mark Drake continued his brilliant start to the season for the reigning champions with yet another four-goal haul, while there were two apiece from Roland Lee and Kelvin Armstrong to give them the points in one of only two league fixtures to be played.

Villa's goals were netted by two-goal Barry Ward and John Haley. While they tasted defeat for only the second time this campaign, Villa stay top, three points ahead of Stanley FC who have two games in hand.

Masons Arms found themselves in a charitable mood against local rivals South Moor Sports and were on the wrong end of a 7-1 defeat.

Ty Swann scored the Masons' consolation goal with Dean Clarke, 2, Anthony Sterling, Peter Blackburn, Carl Gray, Chris Youll and Steven Laws on target for South Moor.

After a dreadful start to the season, this latest win lifts South Moor off the bottom of the table and into sixth position.

In the North West Durham Charity Cup, Garden Farm were up against league rivals Stanley RAFA who they crushed 9-1.

An Alan Green hat-trick and two each by Graham Cook and Paul Swinburn boosted by efforts from Paul Atkinson and Chris McMenemy saw Farm into the next round. Paul Woodhouse scored for RAFA.

Pelton Fell WMC struggled to raise a team against Dunston Social yet took the lead with a Richard Stanton goal in his first game of the season after injury.

Fell held out until five minutes from the end when Social levelled. At the end of 90 minutes, with the scores level, referee Kevin Thompson was unable to carry on and the game was abandoned.

Felling Mulberry, after a terrific result last week, came back down to earth with a 4-0 defeat at local rivals Duke of Cumberland, while Pelton Crown were mauled 9-0 by Consett Sunday League side Stateside.

League table, P W D F A Pts: Grange Villa WMC 7 5 0 45 18 15; Stanley FC 5 4 0 40 11 12; Garden Farm 3 3 0 12 5 9; Felling Mulberry 5 2 1 21 13 7; Pelton Fell WMC 2 2 0 11 1 6; South Moor Sports 6 2 0 16 19 6; Stanley RAFA 5 2 0 8 24 6; Stanley Masons 6 1 1 10 22 4; Pelton Crown 5 1 1 6 17 4; Low Fell Jolly Miller 6 1 1 16 55 4