FREEZING temperatures led to a reduced sporting programme across the district last weekend.

Several football matches, including Prudhoe YC Seniors’ Team Valley Carpets Challenge Cup semi-final, away to Seaton Burn, were postponed due to frozen pitches.

Also called off were Ponteland United’s Northern Alliance Premier Division match at Shankhouse, and Wallington’s trip to Percy Main Amateurs.

Haltwhistle Jubilee manager Cameron Bell was disappointed that his side’s Tyneside Amateur Shield quarter-final, at home to Ponteland United Reserves, did not go ahead.

He said: “From a distance, the pitch didn’t look too bad, but the goalmouths were like sheets of ice.”

Attention has now turned to to this Saturday’s fixtures, with Hexham due to host Prudhoe YC Seniors in Northern Alliance Division One, for what will be the third derby clash between the two sides this season.

The teams sit eighth and sixth respectively in the league table, and the hosts will be hoping to make up for the previous two encounters, which both ended in victory for Prudhoe.

Hexham will be buoyed by their 1-1 draw against top-four side Bedlington last Saturday - a game which survived the freezing weather conditions.