By Peter Burgon

When the teams met at Ponteland in the reverse fixture on August 20 everything went right for the home side who won 5-0 and it was again the hosts who dominated last Saturday as a near full strength Wallington side gained revenge with a 5-1 victory at Oakford Park.

Ponteland had an early chance when top-scorer Joe Rowan turned his man to create some space but pulled his effort wide. On 5 minutes, a ball over the top found Wallington striker Jordan Nellis who peeled away from the defender and burst forward but like Rowan he dragged his wide of the far upright.

The visitors were enjoying a decent spell with Charlie Maddison causing problems down the right wing but home keeper Aaron Carr wasn't seriously tested.

On 13 minutes, Ponteland keeper Grady Wilson made a great save but the ball went out to the left and was quickly returned into the goalmouth for the unmarked Jordan Nellis to open the scoring, the first goal conceded by the visitors in the Bay Plastics Premier Division since December 3 (1-0).

The home side grew in confidence and exerted more pressure on the visitors' goal. A free-kick just outside the box was hammered into the side-netting and soon afterwards Keelan Nellis turned his man before firing over the bar.

Recent signing Lewis Forbes mistimed a back-pass and was thankful to see Wilson turn it behind for a corner with the resulting delivery headed over his own bar by Ponteland captain Kieran Tubman for another corner. Wilson was in action again when the corner wasn't cleared and the loose ball was fired on target by Ben Turnbull. He made a terrific attempt to stop the shot from point blank range but it rolled agonisingly over the line before his outstretched arm scooped it clear (2-0).

Another couple of corners followed in quick succession with Wilson punching the first one away. The second delivery was headed into the air and Turnbull was quickest to react as he volleyed the dropping ball past Wilson (3-0).

The hosts kept up the pressure and, from another corner, Wilson dived backwards and miraculously tipped a looping ball over the bar. Excursions into the Wallington half were sporadic and they had Wilson to thank that the scoreline remained the same at the interval.

Playing with the wind behind them, Ponteland started the second half brightly with some good link-up play and better ball retention. On 55 minutes, debutant Forbes, with nobody closing him down, fired low into the bottom corner past Carr from a central position 22 yards out (3-1).

However, any thoughts of a comeback were quickly dispelled. A long ball down the Wallington left was taken to the dead-ball line and pulled back into the path of in-form striker Keelan Nellis who fired home (4-1).

To rub salt into the wounds, Wallington struck again in the 85th minute. Jordan Nellis picked up a ball on the left and cut inside towards the penalty area before unleashing an unstoppable drive into the far top corner of the net (5-1).

Final Score Wallington 5 Ponteland United 1