Weather wipe-out

All matches were wiped out by the weather, all but one were postponed by Friday evening. Richmond Town had hoped their home match against Thornaby could go ahead, but an over night freeze ruled out the last match.

Acklam SW lead the table having played half their fixtures, winning 15 and drawing three. They are the only unbeaten team, defeating second-placed Cargo Fleet and champions Grangetown Boys Club, but drew with Carlin How, newcomers Hollybush United and their most recent draw was against Nunthorpe Athletic who are in third place but have two games in hand on Acklam.

They were surprisingly knocked out of the MacMillan Bowl by Thornaby, but are in the last eight of the North Riding County Cup, and play Kirbymoorside in three weeks time. Dave Lawson has scored ten goals, Steve Burns and Alan Oliver seven. Last season's player of the year and second top scorer Charlie Agiadis has only scored five after he missed the start of the season through suspension, and he faces another long suspension, which started last Monday.

Cargo Fleet are second to Acklam, having played a game less than the leaders, they have won 13, drawn two, 0-0 with Thornaby Youth club and 2-2 against Wolviston Reserves. They have lost twice, their second match of the season against champions Grangetown and leaders Acklam back in November.

They recorded the highest win of the season and possibly in the league's history after their 19-1 win over BEADS. They lost out to Stokesley of the Wearside League in the County Cup but play BEADS in the second round of the Macmillan Bowl. Gary Hamilton has scored 14 goals, 11 in the 19-1 win. Ray Teasdale and George Pain are neck on neck with 12 apiece.

Nunthorpe Athletic are in third place having only played 16 matches, they have won 13, draw one, against Acklam, but lost two, away to Grangetown Boys Club and at home to Fishburn Park, a side they defeated on penalties in the MacMillan Bowl. However, they lost their first round match to BEADS and are in the R T Raine Trophy, which they won last season. They play Rowntrees in the County Cup, a game that has been brought forward by the County after a request from Rowntrees. They were the North Riding's representatives in the Northern Counties Senior Cup, but lost 5-1 to Liverpool's representative side. Gary Hyde and Phil Pinkney have both scored 12 goals each, Peter Boldison nine, Lee Doughty seven.

Champions Grangetown Boys Club are fourth having played 17 matches, wining 11, drawing three and loosing three, away to the Hollybush, at home to Acklam and last week they lost 3-0 to Cargo Fleet. They lost 2-0 to Rowntrees in the County Cup, but remain in the MacMillan Bowl as holders, with a hard match against Richmond Town, who they have already beaten in the League. They have no-one outstanding in the scoring department, 20 players having scored in the league and cups, one of the reasons they are not in the top three.

Newcomers Hollybush United are in a very healthy fifth place having completed 16 matches, winning ten with three draws and three defeats. They lost to Nunthorpe on the second Saturday of the season, drew with Mackinlay Park providing the basement club with their only point. They were the second club to take a point off Acklam in a 3-3 draw back in November. They bowed out of the County Cup to Stokesley of the Wearside League but remain in the MacMillan Bowl, with an away match at Thornaby. Steve Smith has 11 goals, Steve Thornton nine, Mark Thornton and Mark Thompson have seven each, Garry Smithies has six.

Bedale Athletic had an indifferent start but have climbed to sixth place having completed half their fixtures. They have won five of their last six matches, drawing the other 2-2 with Thornaby. They bowed out of the County Cup to Acklam, lost to Fishburn Park in the Senior Cup but gained a 2-1 win the following week against the Whitby side, setting them off on their undefeated run. They lost to Grangetown in the MacMillan Bowl, and will play Whitby Town Reserves in a preliminary match of the R T Raine Trophy. Adam Bramley with 16 goals, is one off the leading league scorer, followed by Paul Taite with 14. Michael Robinson has chipped in with eight.

Thornaby Youth Club are seventh having completed 16 matches, won nine, drew three and lost four. They always seem to be a club that threatens to do well. They lost their opening match of the season to Nunthorpe Athletic, had a five-match unbeaten run but bowed out of the MacMillan Bowl to Richmond Town. They lost to Bishopthorpe United in a match they should have won in the County Cup. Mac Allen is their leading scorer with 11 but they have scored fewer than all the teams above them, with the four teams below, having also scoring more.

Carlin How are eighth and are another side that seem to threaten but then indifferent form is also their downfall. They have played half their games with eight wins and have lost nine. They beat New Marske in the MacMillan Bowl and have a great chance of reaching the last four as they face basement club Mackinlay Park in the second round. They lost to Thornaby Youth Club in the County Cup but were awarded their Senior Cup match against York RI who declined to switch the tie to Carlin How when their pitch was unplayable. The County F.A awarding the match to Carlin How. Jason Draper is the lagues leading scorer with 17 goals, 11 for former team Whitby Town Reserves, and he has scored six further goals in only three appearances for his new club. Martin Say has chipped in with 12. Ryan Scott has scored ten.

Richmond Town are in the half-way position of ninth, having played 16 matches with seven wins, but they are another team who suffer from indifferent form. They lost to Old Malton St Mary's in the County Cup, beat Thornaby Youth Club in the MacMillan Bowl and face the holders Grangetown Boys Club in the second round. They have lost their ten-goal scorer Wayne Gredziak to Northallerton with Dean Wilson hoping to fill the vacancy having scored six times.

Thornaby are tenth place, losing the opening match of the season, won the next three, lost three, won three, including one in the MacMillan Bowl against Acklam Steelworks, their only defeat in any competitions this season. They are at home to Hollybush United in the second round of MacMillan Bowl. Darren Fixtures is the leading goalscorer with ten.

P W D L F A Pts

Acklam SW 18 15 3 0 61 14 48

Cargo Fleet 17 13 2 2 65 19 41

Nunthorpe Ath 16 13 1 2 61 20 40

Grangetown BC 17 11 3 3 37 20 36

Hollybush Utd 16 10 3 3 53 24 30

Bedale Ath 18 10 1 7 51 42 31

Thornaby YC 16 9 3 4 29 17 30

Carlin How 18 8 1 9 46 39 25

Richmond Town 16 7 2 7 36 33 23

Thornaby 16 7 2 7 32 31 23

Fishburn Park 15 6 4 5 34 24 22

New Marske SC 18 6 2 10 21 41 20

Guisb Town Res 18 5 1 12 29 50 16

BEADS 17 5 1 11 34 75 16

Whitby Tn. Res 18 4 2 12 31 50 14

Stokesley SC 15 2 2 11 22 54 8

Wolviston Res 15 1 4 10 16 43 7

Mackinlay Park 18 0 1 17 14 76 1

Leading scoerers - League & League Cup: 17 J Draper (Carlin How), (11 for Whitby Town Res), 16 A Bramley (Bedale Ath), 14 P Taite (Bedale Ath), G Hamilton (Cargo Fleet), 12 G Pain (Cargo Fleet), R Teasdale (Cargo Fleet), M Say (Carlin How), G Hyde (Nunthorpe Ath), P Pinkney (Nunthorpe Ath), 11 S Smith (Hollybush Utd), M Allen (Thornaby YC), 10 D Lawson (Acklam SW), M Walker (BEADS), R Scott (Carlin How), W Gredziak (Richmond Town), D Fixture (Thornaby), 9 D Marson (Fishburn Park), S Thornton (Hollybush Utd), P Boldison (Nunthorpe Ath), 8 D Mobberley (Acklam SW), M Robinson (Beadle Ath), P Graham (Whitby Town Res), 7 S Boyle (Acklam SW), S Burns (Acklam SW), A Oliver (Acklam SW), K Solomon (Carlin How), D Lamb (Guisb Town Res), M Thompson (Hollybush Utd), M Thornton (Hollybush Utd), L Doughty (Nunthorpe Ath), 6 P Jewitt (Cargo Fleet), G Smithies (Hollybush Utd), D Coyne (Guisb Town Res), D Wilson (Richmond Town), 5 N Agiadis (Acklam SW), P Edwards (Cargo Fleet), J Smith (Fishburn Park), I Kirkbright (Hollybush Utd), P McCrone (Nunthorpe Ath), R Shaw (Thornaby).

Darlington Church and

Friendly League

There was a complete white-out and a league spokesman is forecasting "utter chaos" at the end of the season unless the programme resumes in full pretty quickly.

Wensleydale Creamery League

Leyburn and Hawes United have emerged as the two main contenders for the championship. Leyburn started the season with seven victories from their opening eight games, but then dropped valuable points when they were held to three consecutive draws. Since then, they have won five successive games to lead by one point.

They have yet to meet their main rivals but have lost 4-1 at Carperby.

Hawes made an equally good start, losing only once in their opening six games, and have recently embarked on an unbeaten run, winning eight and drawing one of their last nine outings.

Their only defeat was 2-1 at Middleham Town and they have a game in hand of the leaders.

Richmond Mavericks are third, seven points behind Leyburn, and have lost three games - to Hawes United, Carperby and Bowes. They are currently on a run of four victories and could make a bid for the title in the second half of the season.

Bishopdale are fourth after a disappointing start when they lost three of their first four matches. Since then their fortunes have improved and they have won six of their last seven league games. They have, however, already lost twice to Hawes United and at home to Leyburn.

Carperby started well with an unbeaten run of six games but then lost four successive matches in September. They have recovered in recent weeks and recorded four successive wins to lift them up the table. They have important victories to their credit, twice over Richmond Mavericks and at home against Leyburn.

Middleham are sixth after an indifferent September when they lost three out of four games, but are currently enjoying a good run with only one defeat in their last seven outings. They had a notable 2-1 home victory over Hawes United.

Bowes set off the season with a strong bid for the title with an unbeaten run of six games, but have since lost half of their six league outings. They have beaten Carperby and Richmond Mavericks, but lost to Hawes and Leyburn.

Reeth, eighth in the table, lost only two of their opening eight matches, but have failed to maintain form, losing five of their following eight games.

Spennithorne started badly with three successive defeats but then embarked on an unbeaten seven-match run to rise up the table.

Swale Travaux had experienced an indifferent season, gaining valuable points in a 2-1 home win over Carperby and a 1-1 draw with Leyburn, but then lost 3-2 at home to Askrigg who are currently one of the form league teams, with three victories in an unbeaten run of five games and are rapidly improving their league position.

Catterick Garrison have had some good performances with home draws with Hawes United and Bowes and a draw at Leyburn, have been unable to get away from the lower regions.

One of the season's successes has been Hawes B with five victories to their credit including Bishopdale and Catterick Garrison. A continuation could see them end the season in mid-table.

Richmond Buck had an unbeaten run of five games at the end of September but have since lost their last three matches.

Both Catterick Village and Redmire remain at the foot of the table with only a single point. Both teams deserve credit for maintaining their performances against stronger opposition and the second half of the season may bring greater reward.

P W D L Pts

Leyburn 16 12 3 1 39

Hawes Utd 15 12 2 1 38

Richmond Mavericks 15 10 2 3 32

Bishopdale 16 10 0 6 30

Carperby 14 9 1 4 28

Middleham Town 17 8 3 6 27

Bowes 12 8 1 3 25

Reeth 16 8 1 7 25

Spennithorne 14 6 3 5 21

Swale Travaux 15 5 4 6 19

Askrigg 15 5 3 7 18

Catterick Garrison 16 4 4 8 16

Hawes B 14 5 1 8 16

Richmond Buck 14 3 4 7 13

Catterick Village 16 0 1 15 1

Redmire 19 0 1 18 1

Leading league scorers: 29 J Pritchard (Carperby); 22 N Prince (Hawes Utd); 21 l A Reaks (Bishopdale); 19 M Alderson (Hawes Utd); 19 S Clarkson (Reeth); 19 A Kelly (Travaux); 16 R Meehan (Leyburn); 16 A Mollitt (Mavericks); 13 S Dinsdale (Hawes Utd); 13 B Fotheringham (Bishopdale); 13 L Kirk (Travaux); 12 M Allison (Leyburn); 12 N Oliver (Carperby); 12 S Walker (Bowes).

Hathaway Auckland and

District League

THE league cup programme on Saturday was postponed due to heavy snow and frozen grounds.

The draw for the semi-finals of the league challenge cup is: DSRM v Coxhoe Athletic; Shildon Railway or H Witton Park v Black and Decker.

P W L D F A Pts

Darlington RFA 13 11 1 1 52 12 34

Shildon Railway 15 10 3 2 41 19 32

Cockfield 11 9 2 0 30 8 27

Brandon Station 15 7 7 1 32 33 22

Quinns Inn 11 6 5 0 19 21 18

Witton Park 11 5 4 2 33 23 17

DSRM 11 5 5 1 18 26 16

Brewer and Firkin 13 4 6 3 28 41 15

Black and Decker 11 3 5 3 20 19 12

Roddymoor 8 4 5 0 10 17 12

Coxhoe Athletic 12 3 8 1 15 28 10

Glaxo 10 1 7 2 17 32 5

Middleton Wand 13 1 12 0 15 50 3