Following a string of postponements over the last few weeks due to waterlogged pitches, Ryton & Crawcrook Albion and Jarrow made a welcome return to action at Kingsley Park on Saturday in front of a crowd of 270.

It was the visitors who headed back to South Tyneside with all three points courtesy of 17-year-old striker Ryan Hardie who made it a debut to remember by scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes.

Jarrow started brightly, Josh Walker curling a 25-yard left-footed effort just over the bar and former Prudhoe midfielder Chris Brennan firing high and wide inside the first 5 minutes.

The hosts' first attack on eight minutes saw Alfa Djalo's trickery down the left earn them a corner, from which Josh Skivington's delivery to the back post was headed wide by centre-forward Aaron Costello.

The visitors went ahead in the 16th minute through Hardie who met Walker's free-kick with a towering, bullet header which flew beyond keeper Thomas Dawson's reach into the net off the underside of the bar (0-1).

Costello then missed a gilt-edged chance to equalise when his close-range shot was blocked by the outstretched leg of experienced keeper Jak Wells who has played for 15 different clubs across the North East over the years.

That save proved to be crucial as the visitors immediately counter-attacked at pace from their own half. Brennan slipped a perfectly weighted pass through to Hardie who beat the offside trap and raced away from the last defender before calmly slotting the ball past Dawson into the far corner (0-2).

A better spell of ball retention by the hosts saw them create a couple of decent opportunities around the box but they chose the wrong option on both occasions by taking an extra touch instead of shooting.

Jarrow almost scored again on the half-hour mark when a cross from the left was punched by Dawson only as far as winger Josh Willis who watched his sweetly-struck angled volley from inside the box crash against the bar before rebounding to safety.

Moments later, a rare attack from the hosts ended with Wells saving at the feet of striker Richard Hoggins.

Hardie then burst clear down the left before beating two defenders as he cut inside and Dawson was at full stretch to turn the young striker's goalbound shot around the far post for a corner.

On the stroke of half-time, Brennan's left-footed 20-yard effort was well saved by Dawson and the visitors went into the break good value for their two-goal advantage.

After a quiet spell at the start of the second half with little goalmouth action and neither keeper seriously tested, Ryton & Crawcrook Albion began to grow in confidence and put the visitors on the back foot for the first time in the game.

Enjoying the lion's share of territory and possession, they deservedly pulled a goal back in the 70th minute through Costello after great work down the left by pacy full-back Joseph Groves-Forbes. He beat three players in a surging run as he cut inside towards the box before laying it back to Costello who found the back of the net at the near post with a crisp first-time strike from 20 yards out (1-2).

With the visitors now posing little or no threat, it was one-way traffic to their goal although the hosts were let down a few times by poor deliveries from crosses and set-pieces.

Under pressure from a defender at the back post, home substitute Laquan Esdaille headed wide Djalo's deep cross and, minutes later after breaking from their own half, Costello put Djalo clean through with only Wells to beat but the winger lacked composure and blazed his shot over the bar in what proved to be their last clear-cut opportunity.

The match didn't end well for Djalo who was sent off on the stroke of full-time. He received a second yellow card from referee Daniel Forbes after pushing over a defender in the box when he had no realistic chance of reaching a ball over the top.

Former Hebburn Town Reserves striker Ryan Hardie was named man of the match after a memorable debut, full of great running both on and off the ball, skilful footwork and a fantastic work ethic with the display capped by a brace of superbly taken goals.

There was a mixed bag of results for our other local sides in action at the weekend. Pride of place goes to Wallington who won 8-3 against Stobswood Welfare in the quarter-finals of the Team Valley Carpets Challenge Cup in a match switched to Hirst Welfare's 3G pitch in Ashington with Oakford Park still waterlogged.

Their goals were scored by Jordan Nellis (3), Micky Angus, Andy Bell, Ben Middleton, Jack Palmer and Peter Roberts. Hexham FC lost 5-1 at home to Wideopen FC, a seventh defeat in a row in all competitions, while Prudhoe YC Seniors poor run of form in Ebac Northern League Division Two continued with a 3-0 away defeat against promotion-chasing Horden CW.