LAKESIDE enjoyed a dream start to the season last Sunday when they beat title rivals Newton Aycliffe on the opening day of the new campaign.

Lakeside - who last season finished fourth - were comfortable winners over last year's runners-up after putting in a sound performance.

Aycliffe enjoyed a lot of the possession early in the first half, but Lakeside soon raced into a 2-0 lead when David Welsh hit them with a double sucker punch inside ten minutes. The midfielder scored twice - the first albeit with the help of a deflection - to deflate Aycliffe before the break.

The score remained 2-0 for much of the game, but striker Wayne Marram added the third with 15 minutes left before substitute Martin Walker - on for debutant Kyle Fielding, who enjoyed a fine game - scored against his old club to complete the scoring late on.

"I am obviously delighted with the win," said Lakeside manager Stuart Hodgson. "It shows that we have progressed positively over the summer. Aycliffe will probably be a little disappointed with their performance, but I still wouldn't like to take anything away from my lads. I think we played very, very well and thoroughly deserved the win."

Aycliffe manager Brian Scaiffe said: "We were beaten by the better side on the day but I was very disappointed in our performance - we let ourselves down. But titles aren't won in August and there's still a long way to go yet."

Beehive and Brandon played out a cracking eight-goal thriller, with both sides sharing the spoils.

Joe Cole put Beehive in front, but Lee Nyland equalised for Brandon. Striker Cole then grabbed two quick goals to cap a first-half hat-trick and make it 3-1 at half-time. Paul Allison pulled one back for Brandon before an own goal levelled it.

Jonathan Hall then made it 4-3, but with less than five minutes left, Steven Wood grabbed the third equaliser of the game for Brandon.

"We're disappointed to have thrown it away," admitted Beehive manager Mike Hill. "It's two points lost rather than a point gained. We did well to take the lead in the first half but to let them back into it was very disappointing."

Brandon manager Kevin Williams said: "It was an entertaining game with plenty of goals, and it was good to watch. We thought we'd lost the game but we were delighted to have won a point in the last five minutes."

Elsewhere in Division One, Old Shildon - another of the title favourites - beat The Grand 5-0 thanks to a hat-trick by Paul Wilson and goals by Martin Hedgley and John Paul, while newly-promoted Spennymoor Thorns also got their season off to a flyer with a 6-1 win at Eldon Lane. Mark Russell (3), Andrew Richardson (2) and Norman Liddle scored Thorns' goals.

In Division Two, Victoria - boosted by some key signings in the summer - began their season in positive fashion with a 5-1 win over Masons United.

Centre-back Kyley Wright and striker Martin Longthorne have added much needed experience to the Victoria squad. And the signings have paid dividends as Victoria topped the Second Division after the first day of the season. Longthorne grabbed two goals in their win, with Jason Greenland also getting a brace and Mark Nelson scoring one.

Meanwhile, Horndale - relegated from Division One last season - got their promotion bandwagon up-and-running with a 3-2 win at Eldon Arms.

* The first preliminary round of Durham FA's County Sunday Cup has been drawn, with 15 of the League's teams involved. The games are due to take place on Sunday, September 8, and teams involved are as follows: Tudhoe Utd v Fishburn WMC Wasps, Binchester SC v Stockton West End, South Hetton CC v Horndale, Chster-le-Street GW Horners v Masons Utd, Green Tree v South Shields The Ship, Trimdon Red Lion v Lakeside, North Briton v Wrekenton Stormont Main, Eldon Lane v Wingate Victoria Inn, Salvins v Shildon Royal George, South Shields NOK Utd v Old Shildon, Stockton Malleable Ath. v Cumby Arms, Shildon Athletic v Hurworth Albion, Newton Aycliffe v Hartlepool Throston Wands, Grand v Loves.

Results round-up - Sunday, August 18: Division One: Beehive 4, Brandon 4; Salvins 4, Tudhoe Utd 4; Lakeside 4, N.Aycliffe 0; Eldon Lane 1, Thorns 6; Loves 3, Binchester Social Club 2; Grand 0, Old Shildon 5.

Division Two: Victoria 5, Masons Utd 1; Eldon Arms 2, Horndale 3; Boot & Shoe 1, Shildon Athletic1; Binchester Hotel 3, North Briton 2; Postchaise 3, Two Blues 0.