West Auckland missed a chance to go fifth in the ENL table when they were beaten 5-2 at home by Ryhope CW tonight.

Ryhope stunned West by taking the lead after 2 minutes when Thomas Bott beat the offside trap and fired past Mark Bell, then on 17 minutes Joe Melvin pounced to score after a header was blocked.

It was 3-0 on 30 minutes with a left foot shot by James Ellis, and within a minute it was 4-0 when Ellis turned in a right wing cross.

Alex Francis pulled a goal back on 53 minutes from close range, then three minutes later Paul Connor turned in a left wing cross from ten yards.

But West couldn’t break through again, and Nathan Skidmore pounced on a mistake and scored the fifth with two minutes left.

Marske United are now five points behind leaders Morpeth after winning 3-0 at Newton Aycliffe.

Marske took the lead after 44 seconds when Danny Earl pounced on a mistake in the Aycliffe defence and lobbed the keeper for his 50th goal for the club, then Craig Gott drove home a free kick for the second on 11 minutes.

Aycliffe tried to get back into the game, but Gott finished them off with a powerful shot from the edge of the box on 72 minutes.

In the second division, Tow Law lost their unbeaten home league record when they were beaten 2-0 at home by Durham City, for whom Callum Smith and Nicky Allen scored.

The draw for the second round of the Brooks Mileson Northern League Cup is: Newton Aycliffe v Dunston UTS, Bishop Auckland v Heaton Stannington, Billingham Town v Stockton Town, Easington v Washington, Morpeth Town v Blyth AFC, Willington v Shildon, Guisborough v Northallerton, Whitley Bay v Sunderland RCA, Bedlington v Durham, Marske United v North Shields, Billingham Synthonia v Esh Winning, Consett v Tow Law, Whickham v Newcastle Benfield, Hebburn v Ryhope CW, Darlington RA v Seaham Red Star, Jarrow v Penrith.

Ties to be played week commencing 13th November