IN a season already full of many highlights, Prudhoe YC Seniors saved the best until the last weekend of the year.

The Division Two promotion hopefuls were rampant as they welcomed Premier Division opposition Ponteland United to Prudhoe High School, booking their place in the semi-finals of the Bill Gardner Cup courtesy of a fantastic 4-1 victory.

It is the second semi Prudhoe will contest when the action returns after the Christmas break, already setting up a final four contest with Blyth in the divisional Amateur Cup.

Prudhoe got off to best possible start as there were just two minutes played when they broke the deadlock.

A Kieran Russel header hit the bar and the ball fell to Sam Mannion, and he was on hand to tuck home the rebound to fire his side in front.

Ponteland, who lifted the Clayton Charity Cup by defeating Haltwhistle Jubilee 5-0 in the final during their last visit to the high school, were visibly shocked, and they were in disarray in the early stages.

However, they gradually grew into the game but were unable to trouble teenage goalkeeper Robert Thirtle.

Prudhoe, on the other hand, were hungry throughout and pressed United high up the pitch whenever possible, and their excellent attitude led to them extending their lead on 26 minutes.

Right back Darren Graham won a tackle in the opposition's half, drove forward with purpose and then steered the ball past the Ponteland goalkeeper for 2-0.

The Seniors were rampant and followed the second goal up with a flowing passing move which cut Ponteland open, David Burns just putting the ball wide at the end of the passage of the play.

Burns' pace again took him clear five minutes later and he managed to round the goalkeeper, but he again failed to find the target.

A minute later, former Pont player Jack Bell, Prudhoe's leading marksman in league competition with seven strikes, took three players out of the game with a brilliant turn, but he was unable to add to his impressive tally for the season.

Prudhoe were camped in the Ponteland half and kept the pressure up, but Sam Brown hit an effort just over the bar on the stroke of half time.

As expected, the Premier Division side came racing out of the traps in the second half, and were back in it within a minute of the restart.

Defender Graham this time put the ball in the back of his own net as he couldn't adjust his feet and scuffed his clearance past Thirtle from a yard out.

The home side hit back though, and Burns was again unlucky to see another effort go over the top.

Mannion then hit the goalkeeper as he was denied his second of the afternoon, kept out from close range after a great run and cross from Matty Robinson.

It was Robinson who reopened the two-goal cushion for Prudhoe soon after, striking a thunderous free kick into the top corner from 20 yards out after he was fouled on his way towards goal.

The victory was wrapped up with 20 minutes remaining when a Russel header from a Robinson corner found Brown two yards out, and the defender made no mistake in sending home his team's fourth of the day.

While their place in the final four was all but confirmed, Prudhoe continued to pour forward and introduced Adam Greenwood back to the fold after a second spell on the treatment table.

The striker beat his man and sent over a superb cross which Mannion steered just wide while under pressure.

Five minutes from time, Greenwood nearly marked his return with a goal but he was kept out by a great stop from the Pont shot stopper.

The victory secured by a young, exciting home side bodes well for Prudhoe's promotion push in 2018. There were great performances all over the pitch, with rampaging full back Graham awarded the man of the match award despite another dominant performance from centre back Russel.