New Shildon boss Bobby says that title bid is still on

A bewildered Moore was appointed manager on Friday afternoon after Gary Forrest suddenly quit the title holders on principle in a disagreement over David Ferguson’s transfer to Darlington, and he admitted that the players’ reaction was magnificent as they remained in third place.

Moore admitted that he was in the dark about the background to the Forrest’s departure. “I didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “I came out of a meeting in Birmingham on Friday, and was asked out of the blue if I wanted the job. The drive home from Birmingham was interesting!

“It was a difficult situation, because I didn’t want the team to start to disintegrate, and we still have a good chance of winning the league. We owed that performance to Gary, Stuart Niven and Phil Brumwell.

“Out title bid is still on track, and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got now.

“The lads were absolutely fantastic especially in the last ten minutes, and I was very proud of them. The camaraderie and togetherness were terrific “Mind you, we conceded three goals through our own errors – I can understand why Gary’s hair was going grey!”

Shildon got the start they needed in the opening minute when Lewis Wing fired home, but the RCA levelled through James Cassidy. Billy Greulich-Smith put the Railwaymen back in front, but the RCA stormed into the lead by half time through Michael Charlton and Jonny Butler.

However, Shildon lifted themselves again. A defender put Greulich-Smith’s effort into his own goal and Anthony Bell put them in the lead again from the spot. Micky Rae then fired the fifth and Wing got the sixth.

Bishop Auckland striker Andy Johnson scored his 200th goal for the club in 209 games in their 3-2 away win at Chester-le-Street.

The relegation battlers took the lead when David Latham scored from a left wing cross, but Bishops levelled with a good 25 yard free kick by Alex Francis on 40 minutes.

Then came the moment that Johnson had been waiting for when he converted a penalty for a foul on Ryu Williamson, but Chester levelled with a looping header by Lee Mole.

But Bishops recovered and got the winner when Ryan Noble got on the end of a free kick. There were eleven bookings in the game.

Bishop Auckland manager Steve Riley said; “It was a difficult game in tough conditions. Chester put up a great performance against Shildon recently and made the game very hard for us, defending in numbers after taking an early lead.

“But we managed to grind out a result with some decent attacking play in the second half. It was nice to see Ryan Noble get the winner as he has been itching for an opportunity and took his goal brilliantly.

“It was also nice for AJ to score his 200th goal, and it’s an amazing achievement and his record in a Two Blues shirt is phenomenal to say the least.

“All in all we’re very pleased to take the three points.”

Chester-le-Street manager Colin Wake said; “Football is cruel sometimes, and when you play a top six side you need a little bit of luck which we didn’t get. We more than matched Bishop and were in the ascendancy when we conceded the winner seven minutes from the end. I was gutted for the lads as they were magnificent again like they have been for the last four games. But overall I was really happy with the performance and the effort the lads are giving me and that’s all I’m concerned with.”

North Shields are still eight points clear after they came from behind to win 3-1 at West Auckland, their eighth successive league win.

West nearly took the lead in the first half through Adam Burnicle, but they broke through a few minutes after the break when Ibby Hassan scored in a goalmouth scramble.

But Shields levelled on 52 minutes when Grant Hickman diverted a Lee Mason cross past his own keeper, and after Burnicle was denied by a great save from Shields’ Kyle Hayes, Mason put Shields into the lead with a shot on the turn.

Craig MacFarlane then fired the third to give Shields the points.

North Shields manager Jon McDonald said; “It was a tough battle on a heavy pitch. We reacted positively when we went behind and once we equalised we took control of the game.”

West Auckland manager Steve Skinner said; “The 3-1 score doesn’t reflect the game. We were every good in the first half and it was a fair score going into the break.

“The second half started very well and we scored, then we had a bad ten minutes with an own goal and our keeper making a mistake. They got their tails up and we struggled to get back into it and they got that bit of luck but fair play to them, that’s why they’re top of the league.”

South Shields swept neighbours Jarrow Roofing aside by 7-0 to stay well in touch in second place. They never looked back after taking an early lead when Michael Richardson crossed for David Foley to fire home, and they soon added a second through Dillon Morse.

Gavin Cogdon made it 3-0 from a Craig Baxter pass, then Foley cleverly backheeled the ball for Cogdon to put into the bottom corner. It was 5-0 before half time when Foley headed in, and in the second half Foley dribbled through to score his 20th goal of the season. Robbie Briggs crossed for Morse to score the seventh. Shields have now scored 93 league goals this season, and have won eleven times away from home.

South Shields assistant manager Lee Picton said; “The scoreline accurately reflected the game.”

Jarrow Roofing manager Richie McLoughlin said; “We were beaten by the better side. They were top class today. It would have been great to watch if you weren’t on the management side of the 7-0 defeat.”

Morpeth recovered from the controversy of their Vase defeat to win 2-1 at Whitley Bay.

Whitley took the lead when Adam Wilkinson headed in a cross by Tom Potter, but Morpeth levelled when Mark Davison headed in from a Jordan Fry cross.

Morpeth got the winner when Sean Taylor curled the ball home, to keep them within sight of the top three.

Morpeth manager Nick Gray said: “It was vital to get three points after what the club has been through over the last fortnight.”

Whitley Bay assistant manager Anthony Woodhouse said; “It was a very even game and a draw would have been a fair result. The experience showed in the end as Morpeth nicked it off us.”

Newton Aycliffe were easily beaten 5-0 at Washington, who climbed three places to seventh from bottom Stuart Bramley headed Washington into the lead on 17 minutes , then Jordan Jewson made it 2-0 from a few yards.

Mattie Waters scored the third from a Gary Shaw pass before half time, and with nine minutes left Jonny Wightman curled the fourth into the top corner. Waters headed the fifth right at the end.

Washington manager Richie Latimer said; “It was a very good team performance. We kept it solid at the back which we needed after the last two games, and our play going forward looked sharp, taking our chances well in front of goals. The lads worked hard for each other and 5-0 didn’t flatter us at all.”

Newton Aycliffe manager Deano Browne said; “It was a poor first half and we went in 3-0 down and were lucky not to be more. We were better in the second half for 30 minutes until Washington scored again. Washington deserved all three points and were the better side.”

Marske United came from behind to beat Dunston UTS 3-1 at Mount Pleasant.

Peter Bulmer hit the bar for Marske before Dunston took the lead on half time with a penalty by new signing Warren Byrne, but injury hit Marske struck back straight after the restart with a close range goal by Andy Ramsbottom.

Glen Butterworth put them in front with a 25 yarder on 57 minutes, and after they missed three good chances, Marske scored a third when a clearance by Dunston keeper Stefan Holden went straight to Bulmer, who gratefully accepted the gift.

Former Hartlepool and Darlington striker Ian Clark came on as a late sub for Marske with two minutes left.

Marske manager Carl Jarrett said; “When I found out before the game that we were down to the bare bones of 13 players I feared the worse but the lads put on a very good performance and I couldn’t fault any of them. We thoroughly deserved the three points and dominated the game from start to finish. We found ourselves 1-0 down at half time to a terrible decision by the referee which was a bit hard on us but we showed our class in the second half and came out worthy winners.”

Dunston UTS manager Chris Swailes said; “We were disappointed to lose from a winning position especially at half time. They scored two quick goals after half time which changed the game. Overall Marske deserved to win.”

Third bottom Guisborough lost 4-0 at Seaham Red Star and are now eight points from safety. Guisborough had plenty of possession and hit the post through Ged Livingstone, but the game turned against them in the last fifteen minutes.

Craig Lynch crossed for Luke Proctor to score, then Robbie Bird scored a hat trick in the last eight minutes.

Guisborough manager Gary Forster said; “We’re gutted. We played very well. We had the better chance in the game up to 70 minutes. Fair play to Seaham though, their forwards were top drawer and took the chances they had.”

Seaham manager Chris McCabe said; “The game was a hundred miles per hour. Both sides were very committed. They were a good three points for us after not playing particularly well. Robbie deserved his hat trick, he was outstanding.”

Consett easily beat bottom club West Allotment 5-0 at Belle View.

Allotment defended well in the first half, until Consett’s Luke Sullivan scored his 25th goal of the season from the spot after Danny Craggs was fouled. Craggs made it 2-0 just on half time from an Adam Knowles pass, and four minutes after the break Michael Sweet dispossessed a defender and scored the third. Sweet also scored his 25th of the season from a Matty Slocombe pass with three minutes left, and in the last minute Lewis Teasdale scored the fifth from a Dan Hawkins pass.

West Allotment manager Paul Stoneman said; “Again we were short on numbers but for 40 minutes we were spot on then a rash challenge game away a penalty and to be fair it was one way traffic in the second half. I can’t fault our workrate but we do lack a bit of quality but we don’t have the money. Well done to Consett, their forward line was superb and worked so hard.”

Consett manager Mark Eccles said; “I was pleased to stop the rot with a win against very hard working team. I thought after a scrappy first 20 minutes we got the ball down and started to pass it about. Our domination paid off in the first half with two well-worked goals. We didn’t let up in the second half and deserved more goals than we got. All in all, very happy with the way we played and the three points.”

Newcastle Benfield had a good 5-2 home win over Ashington.

Paul Brayson put Benfield into the lead with his 30th league goal of the season, then John Campbell added two more to make it 3-0. Wayne Buchanan pulled a goal back with a header, but Scott McCarthy made it 4-1. Kyle Downey pulled another gaol back, but Matty Cornish made sure.

Ashington assistant manager Ian Skinner said; “Despite the scoreline we played ok and the difference between the two sides was the finishing. We did, however, make some very bad errors defensively which were punished.”

Ryhope CW were easily beaten 4-0 at Penrith, for whom Martyn Coleman (2), Paul Street and Andy Murray-Jones scoring the goals. Ryhope have now conceded more than 100 goals in the league this season.

Tow Law pulled off a shock in the second division by beating second placed Team Northumbria 2-0 at Ironworks Road. New signing from Bishop Auckland, Adam Nicholls, headed Lawyers into the lead, then Dean Thexton fired the second.

Tow Law manager Steve Murray said; “It was an excellent win. Two losses in eleven, seven consecutive league clean sheets.”

Third placed Billingham Synthonia got off to a good start at Easington and that helped them to a 3-2 win.

Macauley Langstaff put Synners in front from a pass by new signing Nathan Mulligan, then Anthony Peacock made it 2-0 on 23 minutes from a Conor Winter pass, But Easington hit back, with Reece Kenney scoring from a free kick, then Luke Page fired a 20 yarder into the top corner.

But Synners recovered to score the winner when Mulligan converted a penalty after Liddle was brought down and give them their seventh away win of the season.

Billingham Town almost let a three goal lead slip at Hebburn, but won 3-2. They were 3-0 up at half time with goals by Chris Dickinson (2) and Craig Hutchinson, but Hebburn launched a second half fightback and pulled two goals back through Chris Feasey and Chris Smith. Hutchinson has now scored 34 league goals this season.

Billingham Town manager Barry Oliver said; “I thought we were lucky to be 3-0 up at half time to be honest as Hebburn is a tough place to go to, but we dug in for three points. We didn’t play anywhere near as we could. I thought the referee was poor for the full game, but credit to Hebburn for giving us a good game.”

Durham City dropped vital points when they were beaten 2-1 at Willington. Durham took the lead through Brad Hird, but Willington hit back with goals by Lewis Milner and Daniel Kent.

Durham manager Olly Hotchkiss said: “It was an under par performance from our lads, but proud of the effort. Willington were well organised and physical. On the day they deserved to win.”

Willington manager Rob Lee said; “It was a very good result. A good penalty save from our keeper kept us in the game. It was a good team performance from Willington.”

Crook Town at last had something to celebrate when they won their first game under new manager Wilf Constantine by 3-0 against Thornaby at the Millfield, all the goals coming in the second half through Calum Johnston, Peter Brown and new signing Christian Holliday.

Crook manager Wilf Constantine said; “Over the moon, We had six debutants, and three lads who haven’t been for a while. It was a very good, hard working performance and first home win since September.”

Thornaby manager Paul Burton said; “We made three mistakes and they scored three goals. Some of our players tend to do the wrong things in the wrong areas.”

Darlington RA are now looking over their shoulders at the bottom after they were easily beaten 4-0 at Blyth Town, their twelfth defeat in fourteen away games. Zak Atkinson, David Robinson, Liam Gilhespy and Malky Morien scoring the goals.

Darlington RA manager Peter Mulcaster said; “We were beaten by a very very good side. No complaints but my players went right to the very end.”

Brandon had a good 3-0 home win over Bedlington to put them seven points ahead of the bottom two. Dan Quine, Shane Todd and recent signing James Moore scored the goals in the second half.

Northallerton lost ground on the leaders after they were beaten 2-0 at Heaton Stannington, for whom Lee Johnson scored twice. Northallerton are now down to eleventh.

Northallerton manager Darren Trotter said; “We didn’t do enough in the final third having enjoyed lots of possession. Heaton’s subs had more of an effect than ours which resulted in being the difference between the sides.”

Whickham beat Alnwick 2-0, thanks to goals by David Clasper and Mark Fitzpatrick.