PONTELAND United warmed up for the Challenge Cup final by keeping the pressure on the teams at the top.

A Glenn Ford goal 15 minutes from time earned them a 2-1 victory over Seaton Delaval, maintaining their position among the top four of the Premier Division.

They will go into the final with league leaders Killingworth Town, scheduled for Thursday evening, buoyed by the three points.

Ponteland put the pressure on Delaval with a glut of chances in the opening half as Reece Havelock-Brown and Zack Bewley turned the screw, the former desperately unlucky not to give his side the lead as his volley hit the post after Bewley’s cross was punched out to him.

They were ahead on 35 minutes when Havelock-Brown beat the offside trap and accelerated towards goal, clinically firing past Sean Gordge to give his side the lead. While Ponteland defenders Paul Jones and Ford had contained the Seaton attack well, the visitors were back on level terms five minutes before the break.

The hosts failed to clear their lines and the ball was played to Stephen Brown who smashed a volley unerringly past the diving Craig Whinham from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Seaton had a chance to build on the goal but Paul Dunn’s shot lacked power and was clawed away by Whinham.

United tried to gain the upper hand early in the second half with Bewley and Havelock-Brown again combining, the former clipping a ball over the top for the latter to lob his effort just over the bar. Defenders Jones and Ford then linked up with the latter hitting his effort over the bar, the centre halves throwing their bodies in the way to block two Delaval shots at the other end.

And it was over to skipper Ford to earn his side the points, this time keeping his effort down as his sweetly struck half volley flew into the top corner.