West Auckland ended Consett’s 14 game unbeaten run and considerably improved their own survival chances with a 3-2 win at Belle View on Saturday.

West are now nine points above the top three with this win, and manager Steve Skinner said; “It was a great team performance after the 20 minute mark when Consett were on top and created a couple of chances. Overall I thought we deserved the three points for chances created and work ethic from front to back. It was a fantastic three points away from home especially with Consett unbeaten in 14 games and are a very good side with great facilities.”

Consett took the lead on 31 minutes when West assistant manager Brian Close turned a corner into his own goal, but West levelled when striker Adam Burnicle charged down a clearance by Consett keeper Sam Guthrie and ran the ball into the net.

West went 2-1 up when Grant Hickman set up Burnicle to fire home, and on 71 minutes Matty Moffat headed them into a 3-1 lead. Danny Craggs scored a late consolation from the spot for Consett.

Consett manager Mark Eccles said; “Although I thought we were the better team and doing the most pressing we still didn’t deserve to win. They defended really well and took their chances at the right time.”

League leaders North Shields are now eight points clear after thumping Washington 6-1.

Lee Mason destroyed Washington in the first 20 minutes scored a hat trick in the first 20 minutes, the best of them a powerful shot into the top corner. Craig McFarlane scored the fourth before Washington pulled a goal back before half time.

Mason and Gareth Bainbridge scored more gaols in the second half. Mason has now scored 23 league goals for the season.

North Shields manager Jon McDonald said; “It was a first class performance,. We started bright and found ourselves 4-0 up after 30 minutes. I was delighted with the application of the players.”

Washington assistant manager Richie Latimer said; “It was very poor, we weren’t at it from the start. Not taking anything away from Shields, they were very good all over the park. We just have to learn from this and move on to the next game.”

Bishop Auckland are now fifth thanks to a good 4-1 away win at third bottom Guisborough.

The side took the lead with an effort by Liam McPhillips, but after Priestley Griffiths hit the bar for Bishops, he set up Stuart Thompson to beat two men and curl in the equaliser.

Thompson then put Bishops in front from a Sam Orritt assist, and just on half time Andy Johnson made a great run and set up Orritt to score from 15 yards. It was all over at the start of the season half when Johnson turned in Michael Hoganson’s cross. Johnson hit the post later in the half.

Bishop Auckland manager Steve Riley said; “It was a really polished performance by the lads. We totally dominated the game and played some great football at times. I couldn’t really single out any players but Ian Ward was excellent with his all round performance and Ryan Noble looked sharp when he came on for the second half.”

Guisborough manager Gary Forster said; “It was a good start and we could have gone 2-0 up. We were very disappointing after that, and a lack of workrate allowed their players to dictate the game.”

Newton Aycliffe beat bottom club Chester-le-Street 2-0 on a quagmire to put them eighth in the table.

Both teams founds it difficult to play, but Aycliffe took the lead just before half time with a curler by Josh Gray. Chester pushed hard for an equaliser, but Zak Boagey made it 2-0 from a right wing cross.

Chester-le-Street manager Colin Wake said; “We fielded a very young side and they weren’t disgraced at all. We competed all game on what was a heavy pitch and I couldn’t have asked for any more from the lads. It was a good performance but lacked the final result.”

Newton Aycliffe joint manager Deano Browne said; “The lads were top drawer against a well-organised Chester. The pitch was the worst I’ve seen which prevented any real quality but the work rate and effort from us was second to none and the quality came through in the end.”

Jarrow Roofing moved away from the bottom three with an excellent 3-1 away win at Marske United.

Shaun Vipond neatly set up Paul Gardiner to put Roofing into the lead on 30 minutes, then Chris Winn made it 2-0 from a Gardiner cross.

Glen Butterworth pulled one back for Marske with a deflected shot, but Gardiner gave Roofing the points and their third away win of the season with a 30 yarder.

Jarrow manager Richie McLoughlin said; “We were the better team against a good team on their ground. Lewis Brass and Shaun Vipond were outstanding.”

Whitley Bay and Seaham Red Star drew 3-3 at Hillheads. Robbie Bird put Seaham into the lead from the penalty spot, but Whitley levelled with a penalty of their own by Callum Patton at the other end.

Alex Kempster put Whitley into the lead on 34 minutes, but Craig Lynch levelled with the third penalty of the game. Bradley Staunch headed Seaham into the lead, but youngster Tom Gilbey curled the equaliser, his first goal for the club, in stoppage time.

Seaham manager Chris McCabe said; “A draw was probably a fair result. We never really got going and we conceded two very disappointing goals. Second half we upped the tempo, pressed the ball better and went ahead. It was an end to end game but a bitter pill for us to concede an equaliser late on.”

Whitley Bay assistant manager Anthony Woodhouse said; “Disappointed. We handed them the lead in the first half but quickly equalised, the new had the better chances but failed to take them. In the second half we conceded a penalty and a sloppy setpiece , and we equalised in the last few minutes. Overall I thought we should have won but the draw was great for the neutral.”

Second bottom West Allotment were heavily beaten 4-0 at home by Newcastle Benfield. Paul Brayson scored a hat trick for Benfield giving them the lead after 8 minutes from close range, then Olly Leedham scored the second with a deflected shot.

After Allotment missed a penalty, Brayson scored the third fro ma rebound, and then soon after half time completed his hat trick from a John Campbell assist. Brayson has now scored 29 league goals for the season.

West Allotment manager Paul Stoneman said; “I think 4-0 flattered them. We were poor in both boxes and they weren’t. We should have scored four in the first half and we missed a penalty and got punished. Overall we played well with the ball.”

Newcastle Benfield joint manager Mark Convery said; “It wasn’t the best of performances but we got the well-deserved win.”

Dunston UTS gave a debut to new signing Warren Byrne, but he finished on the losing side by 4-3 against Penrith, who scored a last minute winner.

Dunston’s Scott Heslop missed an early penalty, but that didn’t bother them because Dale Burrell put them in front just before half time.

Martyn Coleman hit back for Penrith by scoring twice, one of them a penalty, but Byrne equalised. Robbie Hebson restored Penrith’s lead, only for Byrne to level from the spot. However, Coleman popped up in the last minute for the winner.

Dunston UTS manager Chris Swailes said; “I was disappointed to lose when we did. We took the early lead, but went behind and levelled twice. We should have got at least a draw but ended up with nothing.”

Ryhope CW beat Ashington 2-1 after the visitors took the lead with a shot by Dan O’Reilly on 25 minutes.

But James Ellis produced a good finish to equalise for Ryhope before half time, and in the second half Joe Melvin fired the winner. Ryhope defender Tom Bott was dismissed late in the game.

Ashington assistant manager Ian Skinner said; “That’s only one win in nine games. We need to stop this poor run of results by improving our levels of performance. We were poor today.”

Ryhope CW manager Gary Pearson said; “It was the most pleasing performance of the season to date for me and was thoroughly deserved. Every player did their jobs well, winning their individual battles which in turn allowed us to win the collective battle but Matty Weirs was immense.

“The first half was very even, but the second half was a lot more in our favour as we should have scored four as well as limiting Ashington to possibly one or two opportunities.”

In the second division, Stockton Town won their top of the table derby against Billingham Synthonia with a single goal to give them their ninth straight league win.

Tom Coulthard scored it from a Max Craggs free kick in the first half.

Stockton are now eight points ahead of third placed Synners.

Stockton Town manager Micky Dunwell said; “It was a great result and fully deserved. We were superb all over. It puts us in a strong position.”

Team Northumbria are second after they won 2-1 at Heaton Stannington. Aiden Heywood put Team North into the lad, only for Gary Yates to equalise. That seemed to be enough until Scott Gunn got the winner in stoppage time.

Durham City are up to fourth with a good 3-1 away win at Northallerton, even though they had a man sent off. Nicky Martin put Northallerton into the lead from a Shaun Howes cross on 34 minutes, but Durham levelled with a low shot by Craig Hennis.

Northallerton’s Stuart Owen had a spot kick saved, and then Durham had Elliott Sakiri dismissed for his second yellow.

But the sending off didn’t bother Durham, and Bradley Hird scored twice late in the game to give them the points.

Durham manager Olly Hotchkiss said; “It was an outstanding performance from the players. We played some good football at times. Our player got sent off and the character to score two with ten men was a credit to the players against a well-drilled Northallerton side. I was delighted with the players’ attitudes and also the win.”

Northallerton manager Darren Trotter said; “We’re devastated by the result, it is the best we have played in two years. We had enough chances in the first half to be out of sight. A great strike and a saved penalty changed the emotion of the game within a minute.

“Got to give credit to Durham who hung in and took their chances. Today make me proud of the team we are building and angry at how cruel football can be.”

Easington are joint fifth after a good 6-3 away win at Thornaby. Joe Kerridge put them ahead after 3 minutes then Aiden Goodey made it 2-0. Karl Charlton pulled a goal back on 32 minutes, but then Dan Martin, Kerridge and Chris Pearson made it 5-1. James Rowe and Kurt Howes pulled two goals back for Thornaby before Jack pounder made the game safe. Easington were also involved in a ten goal thriller at Consett in midweek.

Thornaby manager Paul Burton said; “It was a strange game. We started poorly and Easington were 2-0 before we got going. Out of the blue we pulled one back, and in the second half we started well and looked to be on our game only to concede a third after a mistake at the back.

“I feared the worst when they scored another two, then we started playing, got two back, missed two great chances and had a goal disallowed. I felt we could actually get something until Easington scored a sixth. It was a great game for the neutral, but bad decision making cost us.”

Second bottom Darlington RA had a much needed 4-1 away win at Ryton and Crawcrook.

The home side took the lead through Callum Turnbull, but the RA bounced back with goals by Danny Pigg, Andy Lonsdale (2) and Chris Tarn.

Darlington RA manager Peter Mulcaster said; “It was a welcome win which I felt was thoroughly deserved. Joe Peel and Andy Lonsdale were outstanding but it was also a great team effort.”

Bottom club Esh Winning won their third game of the season by beating Crook Town 5-2. Lee Best and Joe Kerry had Esh 2-0 up by half time, then Max Stoker made it 3-0 soon after. But Crook hit back with goals by Jordan Lee and Alex Wilson , before Andrew Clarkson and Kerry added further goals.

Esh Winning manager Tony Boakes said; “That was a fantastic result for our lads, they put 100 per cent effort in for the full ninety minutes. We could have been four or five up before half time.”

Tow Law beat Brandon 2-0 at Ironworks Road, with goals by Matthew Soulsby and Kieran Barker.

Willington drew 2-2 at Whickham, both of their goals scored by Jason Brazauskas. Joe Mole and Daniel Candlish scored for Whickham in between.

Willington manager Rob Lee said; “It was a well deserved point. We worked hard, and they were two well taken goals by Jason Brazauskas. It was a good team performance.”

Hebburn won 4-1 at Alnwick, with goals by Adam Rundle, Glen Hargrave, Channon North and Jason Blackburn. Chris Graham scored for Alnwick.

Hebburn manager Scott Oliver said; “It was a good performance in which created plenty of chances and scored some good goals.”