Shildon lifted the Durham Challenge Cup for the first time since 1972 when they came from behind to beat Spennymoor 2-1 in a dramatic finale at Central Avenue.

Shildon trailed until the last seven minutes, when striker Billy Greulich-Smith scored twice in front of a crowd of over 1,000.

Shildon missed two good chances to take the lead in the opening 15 minutes. Darren Richardson put Ben Wood through and his shot was blocked by Moors keeper Kyle Hayes, then Greulich-Smith broke clear, but toe poked the ball wide.

Moors slowly got into the game, and nearly scored when Shildon keeper Lewis Graham saved Chris Mason’s close range header, then Anthony Peacock dribbled through and had a shot from an acute angle cleared off the line.

Moors took the lead on 42 minutes when Keith Graydon was left completely unmarked on the edge of the box to control a half-clearance from a corner, and volley into the bottom corner of the net.

Shildon were aggrieved at the start of the second half when they had two goals disallowed, on for offside and the other for handball, and they breathed a sigh of relief at the other end when Chris Mason volleyed a Wayne Phillips cross against the post.

Andy Johnson, who scored for Bishops last season when they beat Moors, curled one wide, and that proved to be a turning point.

Seven minutes from the end, right back Jamie Harwood did well to cross perfectly under pressure from next to the corner flag on the right for Greulich-Smith to nod home at the far post for the equaliser.

The Railwaymen kept the pressure going, and in the first minute of stoppage time Sam Hodgson dribbled into the box on the right and managed to get the ball to the far post where fellow sub Sam Garvie miskicked, but the ball dropped for Greulich-Smith to force home.

Shildon manager Gary Forrest said; “I thought the first half was fairly even, but I told the players that if we were going to lose the game, it shouldn’t be with a whimper. In the second we stepped it up a bit, and it was a tribute to the way the players kept on going that we won it. Billy was in the right place at the right time twice.”

Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley said; “It shows how fine the margins are. If Chris Mason’s effort hadn’t hit the post and gone in instead, then it would have been game over.”

North Shields celebrated the second division title with a 3-0 win against West Allotment in front of the season’s best crowd of 1312.

Kieran Wrightson, Dean Holmes and Dan Smart scored their goals.