Bishop Auckland’s automatic promotion hopes disappeared when they conceded two goals in the last ten minutes in a 4-4 draw with Newcastle Benfield on Saturday.

Bishops need to finish above South Shields, the other Northern League team who have indicated that they will take promotion at the end of the season, but they will need a most remarkable turnaround in both clubs’ fortunes for that to happen, especially if Bishops continue to throw away winning positions.

They created the better chances in the first half, but were 2-0 down at half time against the wind. Dylan McEvoy fired Benfield into the lead with a left foot shot off the underside of the bar, then Matthew Cornish found the top corner with a 25 yard thunderbolt.

With the elements behind them, Bishops pulled a goal back midway through the second half when Leon Carling moved forward and hit a 30 yarder into the bottom corner, then James Fairley cleverly dribbled round the Benfield defence and slotted in the equaliser Priestley Griffiths put them ahead with a left wing corner that was literally blown past the Benfield keeper by the wind, and Michael Hoganson fired home a low free kick from 30 yards for 4-2.

But Bishops lost control of the game. Mark Turnbull curled the ball over Bishops keeper Scott Pocklington to put Benfield back in, then Bishops defender Ben Riding slid a left wing cross into his own goal for the equaliser.

Bishop manager Steve Riley said; “To say that I’m disappointed is an understatement. We looked totally in control of the game for 80 minutes, but I’m speechless about how we managed to throw the game away after being 4-2 up. I can’t explain the last ten minutes of the game. I couldn’t understand why we didn’t shut up shop and make life difficult for Benfield by keeping the ball and putting it into areas where it’s hard for them to break from.

“Maybe we thought the game was won at that point, but it just goes to prove that a game isn’t over until the final whistle and you must concentrate right up to the very end.”

South Shields passed the 100 league goal mark for the season in the course of recording their 18th successive win when they beat bottom club Chester-le-Street 3-0 at Mariners Park.

Shields took the lead through Jon Shaw from an Alex Nicholson cross, then Julio Arca had a penalty saved by Chester keeper Jack Wilson.

Wayne Phillips crossed for Gavin Cogdon to head the second after 55 minutes, and David Foley dribbled in from the right and scored the third.

Shields joint manager Lee Picton said; “It was a valuable three points, but we’ll have to be better next week. By our own very high standards we weren’t up to par.”

Chester-le-Street manager Colin Wake said; “I was so proud of the lads in the way that they went about trying to stop Shields from playing. We didn’t really threaten but at least we made them work for their win.

“If the ref was stronger Wayne Phillips should have been sent off in the first half for a disgusting challenge that went unpunished and it could have given us more of a chance to be a threat, but that’s what you get when you play against the big sides, refs who look after them.”

Billingham Town are up to fourth in the second division after they beat Easington 4-1 at Bedford Terrace.

Town went in front through Craig Hutchinson with a tap in following a mistake in the Easington defence, then he scored his 45th goal of the season with a 25 yarder into the bottom corner.

Elliott Beddow finished off a good move to make it 3-0 before half time, and with ten minutes left Jamie Davis pounced on a defensive mistake. Joe Kerridge scored a late consolation penalty for Easington, who are now seventh and just about out of the promotion race after being top at Christmas.

Billingham manager Barry Oliver said; “Considering the weather conditions, I thought that we were outstanding.”

In the EvoStik League, Blyth are now twelve points clear after they beat Hednesford 5-1 at Croft Park, while Whitby are now second following a good 4-1 away win at Marine.

Spennymoor are back in eighth, but with games in hand on all the teams above them.