HALTWHISTLE Jubilee manager Cameron Bell was much more pleased with their slender 2-1 victory at the weekend than their 9-3 demolition on the opening day of the season.

For it was a real backs to the wall job in the slender victory over Jesmond, the hosts scraping a team together for the fixture with a total of 23 players unavailable for selection.

Bell gave first starts to both 16-year-old Ewan Mitchell and 17-year-old Ben Moralee, both at full back, while Shaun Johnstone and Stu Sproul were both signed on at the last minute to take the squad numbers to 12.

And all 12 ran their socks off and challenged for every ball despite being largely under the cosh.

While Jesmond had most of the possession, Haltwhistle had the better of the chances in the opening half and it was veteran Norman Calvert who broke the deadlock with what looked like a cross, the ball sailing over the goalkeeper’s head.

After the restart, Johnstone was brought down in the area and the impressive Mark Robson strode up and confidently sent the ball home for 2-0.

David Hall was then guilty of missing a great chance to make it 3-0, with Jesmond immediately seizing the opportunity to reduce arrears from the resulting goal kick.

Haltwhistle, who were forced into their only permissible sub when Greg Irwin rolled his ankle, couldn’t get out of their own half as Jesmond cranked up the pressure, with teenage goalkeeper Lewis Weeks named man of the match without really having much to do.

There was late drama when Jesmond were denied an equaliser by the offside flag with just five minutes remaining, the visitors incensed and are likely to face disciplinary action for their strong remonstrations.

Ponteland United Reserves’ winning run continues as they made it 20 on the bounce with two wins in the space of five days. The returning Conor Brumwell scored twice and Toy Spratt the other as they defeated Newcastle Chemfica Amateurs 3-2 at the weekend, in a game in which 16-year-old Kane Gellately was man of the match.

They followed it up with another slender victory, with Spratt and Brumwell again netting as they edged out West Jesmond 2-1 on Wednesday evening. Dan Potter was named man of the mtach.