West Auckland hammered Billingham Synthonia 7-1 to go six points clear at the top of the ENL First Division.

Matty Moffat broke the deadlock on 32 minutes when he scored with a deflected shot that looped over the Synners keeper, and seven minutes later he pounced on a slip by Synners defender Thomas Bott and scored easily. He completed his hat trick when Robert Briggs and Alex Francis sliced open the defence for him to chip the keeper from 20 yards.

Briggs made it 4-0 from a corner on 58 minutes, then Ian Ward headed the fifth from a Francis free kick. Stephen Richardson headed past Synners sub keeper Gareth Shaw for number six, and Ward made it four headed goals in the second half from another Francis assist. Synners scored a late consolation through Michael Sweet.

Marske United are now second after easily winning 6-2 at Bishop Auckland.

Marske took the lead midway through the first half when Craig Gott scored from the spot after Reece Kelly was brought down by Adam Sakr, but a few minutes later Bishops themselves scored from the spot through Kieran Megran after a push by Marske defender Darren Hollingworth.

Marske regained the lead on 41 minutes when Adam Wheatley headed in a left wing free kick by Gott, then just on half time former Bishop player Danny Brunskill dribbled through and tapped in the third.

Bishops pulled a goal back on 52 minutes with the third penalty of the night by Megran, awarded for a foul by Ricky Fenwick. Stuart Thompson then hit the bar for Bishops, but Josh McDonald got away on the right for Marske and pulled the ball back for Brunskill to tap in at the far post. Sub Jamie Owens made it 5-2 with a left foot shot on 77 minutes, then McDonald cut in from the right and scored the sixth with a left foot shot.

Shildon won 5-1 at Consett. They took the lead in only the second minute, when Jamie Harwood was left unmarked to head in a right wing corner and a few minutes later they went further ahead when Paul Connor ran through and beat Consett keeper Chris Elliott.

The keeper then brought down Ben Wood when he was the last man, but Mark Hudson fired the penalty over the top. But that didn’t deter Shildon from scoring a third, when Chris Emms scored from a Connor pass before half time.

Consett sub Adam Nicholls pulled a goal back on 56 minutes, but then the Steelmen had defender Dan Madden for an off the ball incident. Sub Lee Scroggins chipped Elliott with two minutes left, and in stoppage time Micky Rae netted with a free kick into the bottom corner.

In the Ernest Armstrong Cup, Chester-le-Street beat Hebburn 3-2.

Chester-le-Street went 3-0 up by the 50th minute through Scott Heslop (2) and Glen Hargrave, but Hebburn came storming back with two goals by Channon North. Chester then had Kevin Dixon dismissed for two yellows.

Billingham Town came from behind to win 3-2 against Ryton.

Ryton went 2-0 both of them from Dan Armstrong , but Dan Ballantyne and Connor Lowes pulled Town level, before Lowes scored the winner.

Tow Law went down at South Shields. David Molloy put Shields ahead, and then their keeper, Nikki Lawson, saved a Scott Brassell penalty.