A POWERPLAY goal from pop star Alistair Griffin earned £50,000 each for two Teesside charities as Boro won the first ever Premier League All Stars competition in London.

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The club's chosen charities Teesside Hospice and the Butterwick House Children's Hospice are both celebrating the unexpected windfall, which will help them continue their vital work.

Boro began the competition - which saw every Premier League club competing for charity cash as part of the Premier League Creating Chances initiative - with a 7-6 win over Newcastle United on penalties early in the week after a 1-1 draw in normal time.

They followed that up with a 2-0 quarter-final win over Birmingham City and earlier yesterday eased past Sunderland in the semi-final with another 2-0 win.

But although Boro dominated the early exchanges in the final against West Ham, they went behind to a goal from actor Geoff Bell and then had to be thankful to some great saves from Jim Platt and a clearance off the line from Craig Hignett that cannoned to safety off a post to keep them in the game.

Hignett then equalised with a goal that squirmed out of goalkeeper Allen McKnight's grasp and just over the line.

The game looked to be heading for penalties when Bernie Slaven won the ball near the halfway line and steered in infield to Mikkel Beck. The Danish striker went on a great run before threading the ball to Griffin, who kept his cool to slot the ball under McKnight.

The competition pioneered a final minute Powerplay where any goals scored count double - giving Boro as 3-1 victory.

Boro's squad included Platt, Slaven, Hignett and Beck along with singer Griffin, speedway star Gary Havelock and actor Mark Stobbart.

Fans Steven Aithwaite, from Thornaby, Tony Rovardi, from Acklam, and Julian McGuire, from Ealing, were also involved and all played their part with some excellent performances throughout the tournament.

The Hammers included ex-pros Frank McAvennie, Tony Cottee and John Moncur.