Struggling Esh Winning were denied a much needed point when they were beaten by two stoppage time goals at champions Spennymoor Town on Saturday.

Esh, who only have five points from 16 games this season, looked good for a point at 1-1 until they were cruelly denied at the death, leaving them six points adrift of safety. Manager Peter Mulcaster said: “Everybody is gutted because we deserved something from the game, even Spennymoor agreed that. I’m delighted for the players for the way that they fought and battled all the way through the game, but they have to keep producing performances like this. They played at Whitley Bay earlier in the season, but then lost the next game heavily.”

Esh gave Moors a scare early on but Liam Clough put a penalty high over the bar. Moors recovered and took the lead through Craig Ruddy with a low shot into the bottom corner. Esh keeper Andrew Spence made two good saves before Stuart Thompson took advantage of some indecision in the Moors defence and fired home.

Esh looked as if they were holding on for a point, until stoppage time when Stephen Harrison crossed for Gavin Cogdon to sidefoot in, and then Stephen Richardson pounced on a mistake to score the third.

“Our subs made a difference,” said Spennymoor boss Jason Ainsley Consett made it ten home wins out of ten in the league with a 3-1 victory against Whitley Bay.

Gavin Ross outpaced the Whitley defence and set up Lewis Teasdale for an early goal, but recent signing Glen Taylor levelled for Whitley with a header.

Ross restored Consett’s lead midway through the second half, and Teasdale got the third with a low shot. Ross also hit the bar.

West Auckland are still on the heels of the leading group with a 2-0 home win over Tow Law, who are now in the bottom half of the table.

They took the lead on 31 minutes when John Parker scored from ten yards following a corner. Tow Law kept battling away, but they were finally beaten in the last minute when Adam Nicholls was brought down, and Mattie Moffat fired the penalty in off the post.

What could be Billingham Town’s last game at Bedford Terrace – depending on their court case with Hartlepool United this week – saw them lose 4-2 at home to Dunston.

The visitors cruised into a four goal lead. Micky Dixon pounced on a defensive mistake to put them in front after 25 minutes, and then Steve Preen made it 2-0 from the edge of the area shortly after. Just before the break it was 3-0 with a left foot strike by Fergal Harkin. Preen made it 4-0 with a diving header early in the second half, and Town launched a mini revival with goals by Marcus Laing and Andy Jennings.

Bedlington have now lost two in a row and dropped into fifth after they were surprisingly beaten 2-1 at home by West Allotment, who have now climbed out of the bottom three. Alex Benjamin scored his 21st league goal of the season to put Bedlington into the lead early in the second half, but sub Paul Gardner quickly levelled for Allotment. Marc Walton fired the winner for the visitors near the end.

Stokesley have replaced West Allotment in the bottom three after they lost 2-1 at home to Shildon, their tenth successive league game without a win.

The Railwaymen took the lead in the first half when former Stokesley player Sonny Andrew set up Andy Johnson to score from a right wing cross, then Danny Richmond opened up the Stokesley defence for Johnson to slot in the second.

Shildon missed some good chances to increase their lead before Stokesley scored a late consolation through a James Allsop free kick.

After winning 5-0 at Shildon in midweek, Bishop Auckland came back down to earth with a 4-0 away defeat at Ashington.

The Colliers gained the advantage with a volley by Stephen Young, his ninth league goal of the season after 21 minutes, then three minutes later David Colvin scored the second from 25 yards. Phil Bell got the third from a rebound at the start of the second half, with Jonny Godsmark firing the fourth near the end.

Newcastle Benfield striker John Campbell is on his way to League One side Swindon this week for a trial after scoring twice in their comfortable 6-0 home win over bottom club Ryton, to take his league tally for the season to 18.

Kevin Leighton gave Benfield an early lead, with new signing Ian Graham adding the second. Adam Scope made it 3-0, with Campbell adding two more, as well as Graham in the second half. Ryton have failed to win any of their last eleven league games.

Penrith won their first home game of the season against a wretched Billingham Synthonia by 6-1. Lee Hoolickin put Penrith into the lead from an early free kick, and after that Synners’ defending steadily got worse. Two bad mistakes allowed Matty Lea and James Earl to score goals, with Nathan Jameson pulling one back from a Colin Iley assist. David Abel conceded a penalty that Hoolickin converted, then Dean Douglas pounced on some more generous defending to score twice more by the 65th minute. Jameson missed a late penalty for Synners.

Sunderland RCA thought that they were on for a good point at Norton, until the home side grabbed all three points in the last minute.

Danny Earl missed a couple of good chances for Norton in the first half, but in the second half Norton keeper Jim Provett made two good saves from Richard Logan. Craig Bishop got the winner in the last minute with a glancing header.

South Shields won their local derby by 5-2 against Jarrow Roofing.

The visitors took a first minute lead through Craig Nelson, but David Graham levelled from a free kick, and Tony Coe headed them into the lead. However, Roofing levelled before the 10th minute mark through Peter Watling. Chris Winn made it 3-2 just on half time. In the second half, Stephen Ramsey headed in a free kick, and Lee Paul Scroggins scored from a right wing cross.