SHILDON manager Gary Forrest says that his team must improve after they flopped 3-2 at West Auckland on Saturday.

Shildon stunned Whitby by beating them in the FA Cup in midweek, but another giantkilling against Stalybridge this Saturday looks unlikely if the Railwaymen repeat this kind of performance.

“You can’t afford to go to West Auckland and defend like we did. West didn’t have to work for their goals, we gave the goals to them on a plate,” he said.

“We lacked energy, we seemed to be flat, and after we conceded a bad second goal, the confidence drained from the players. We got going again at 3-1, but you can’t afford to leave it until the last 20 minutes.

“If we’re going to have a chance of beating Stalybridge this week, then we have to improve by 100 per cent. We were nothing like the team who beat Whitby.”

West deserve credit, as they played well for the first 70 minutes and recorded their fifth successive win to put them in second place.

Shildon went behind to a dubious penalty on eight minutes when the ref decided that Shildon full back Darren Richardson fouled striker Steve Richardson, and Robbie Briggs converted the penalty.

Shildon levelled on 20 minutes when Darren Craddock headed home a floated free kick by Mark Hudson, but a mix up between Craddock and keeper Lewis Graham presented Richardson with the opportunity to volley in from the edge of the area.

West should have had another penalty when Richardson seemed to be hauled down by Craddock, but that didn’t matter so much because on the hour Richardson used his pace to get down the right and pulled the ball back for Briggs to sidefoot into the top corner.

Shildon pulled a goal back when West keeper Daniel Lowson parried a low shot by Ben Wood, and Billy Greulich- Smith was on hand to turn the ball home.

West Auckland manager Anth Smith said: “I thought we controlled most of the game, and with better finishing at key times, we could have scored more. Considering we had several players missing, the players who came in, did very well.” Consett lost their unbeaten record when they went down 2-0 at Ashington, whose goals were scored by Lance McGlen and Marc Walton.

Marske United nearly lost their unbeaten record to bottom club Crook Town, but they came back from 2-0 down with six minutes left to win 3-2.

After a goalless first half, it looked good for Crook when Andy Blackburn chipped Marske keeper Dan Molyneux, then Stuart Hardy pounced on a mistake at the back to make it 2-0.

But with six minutes left Josh Myers pulled a goal back with a glancing header, then Crook midfielder David Webster put through his own goal from a yard out. Marske surged forward for the winner, and got it through Jamie Owens.

Leaders Bedlington are four points clear after they beat Newcastle Benfield 3-0 at Welfare Park.

Newton Aycliffe had a morale- boosting 1-0 win at Billingham Synthonia thanks to Dan Mitton’s first goal for over four years.

He broke through after just six minutes when he headed in a free kick by Martin Young, and two minutes later Connor Lowes nearly added a second. Aycliffe missed more chances to make the game safe, and Zak Boagey struck the crossbar. Aycliffe keeper Will Jones made a good late save from Matty Osmond.

Ian Chandler’s return to his old club Whitley Bay with Durham City saw them lose 2-1 after being in the lead at one stage, when Callum Hope set up Kyle Fryatt to fire them in front.

But with Paul Robinson back in the team on his return from Blyth, Whitley equalised when Robinson floated in a free kick for Paul Chow to head in.

Whitley got the winner when Chow scored from the spot after Robinson was brought down.

Guisborough continued their climb up the table with a 6-0 thumping of West Allotment.

They took the lead on 19 minutes when Anthony Hume scored from a James Risborough cross, and it stayed that way until the 50th minute when Nathan Mulligan dribbled past several defenders and scored from the edge of the box. He made another mazy run to score the third, and then Allotment collapsed. Matthew McQueeney strolled through and scored the fourth, then Chay Liddle scored the fifth, and Mulligan completed his hat trick from a Callum Martin cross.

Sunderland RCA’s new manager Marty Swales now knows the size of the task ahead as they lost 2-1 at Jarrow Roofing, their tenth league game without a win.

Roofing took the lead after 14 minutes with a John Campbell penalty after Jonathan Wright was brought down, but that was cancelled out when Gavin Barton scored from a free kick. However, Campbell beat two defenders and fired the winner just before half time. Roofing have signed Shaun Vipond from West Auckland.

Morpeth drew 0-0 at Penrith, hitting the crossbar three times through Sean Taylor twice and Shaun Bell.

In the second division, after scoring eight last week at home to Alnwick, Norton beat Birtley 7-2. They got off to a great start when Michael Jameson scored after four minutes, then Rocky Andrews added another.

Jameson made it 3-0 before half time, but at the start of the second half Birtley pulled two goals back through Martin Soulsby and Robert Smith. Jameson missed a spot kick for his hat trick, so when Norton were awarded another penalty, it was converted by Harrison Davies. Davies completed a seven minute hat-trick for 6-2, then Marcus Laing scored another.

Seaham Red Star were among the goals again, beating Ryton and Crawcrook 6-0. Sonny Andrews (2), David Palmer (2), Liam Mc- Bryde and Daryl Donnelly scored their goals.

Northallerton had a 4-3 home win over Washington at Ainderby Road. They led 4-1 at one stage with goals by brothers Aaron and Andrew Ramsbottom, Stuart Owen and Mark Stephenson with Mark Davison scoring for Washington, but the visitors nearly snatched a point with late goals by Paul Wardle and Chris Winn.

Billingham Town won their first league game of the season when they beat Stokesley 3-2 and move out of the bottom two.

Ben Bonner gave Stokesley a tenth-minute, but Town levelled on the half hour with a Drew Lambert penalty after a foul on Dan Ballantyne, who then lobbed Town into the lead.

Stokesley broke away through Craig Peel and levelled on 51 minutes, but then he was sent off for swearing at the referee.

Town got a penalty following a push by Lloyd Evans, and Lambert scored for the second time from the spot.

Evans was then dismissed for two yellow cards to leave Stokesley with nine men.

Tow Law drew 1-1 with Chester-le-Street at Ironworks Road.

Chester had the better of the first half and took the lead through Leigh Guthrie, but Jon Hewitson equalised in the second half for Lawyers.

Thornaby, whose manager Paul Edwards turned out in goal, had a 4-2 win at Esh Winning, who now drop to second bottom. Denis Alderson put Thornaby ahead on 20 minutes, then Richie Walker got the second just on the hour.

Tom Morgan pulled a goal back for Esh, but Thornaby replied with an effort by Danny Lofts. A penalty by Karl Turner gave Esh some hope, but Lofts finished them off with his second goal.

In the Durham Challenge Cup, Darlington RA striker Freddie Huscroft scored a hat trick, but they still lost 4-3 at Wolviston.

  • In the Evo-Stik Premier Division, Whitby drew 2-2 with Marine at the Turnbull Ground. They were 2-0 down after 21 minutes, but David McTiernan and Matthew Waters scored for them in the second half.

Blyth drew 1-1 at Stamford, their goal coming from a Richard Jones own goal after 29 minutes.