Stanley Royal maintained their place at the top of the league on goals difference following a crushing 8-0 victory at Felling Mulberry.

Blaydon cricketer Mark Drake was the star of the show with a five-goal haul with David Robson and Ian Watson also on the score sheet. The scoring was then completed by teenage Kevin Dixon junior, the son of former Carlisle and Hartlepool striker Kevin Dixon.

South Moor Sports remain level with the Royal, but have played four games more.

And their latest three points haul saw them burst the bubble of the Masons Arms who suffered only their second defeat in seven games.

The Sports were 5-0 winners following a hat-trick from Steven Green and goals from Peter Blackburn and Rhys Tomlinson.

Gateshead Black Bull lost 7-3 against resurgent Pelton Fell WMC who moved one place up the table to fourth. The Bull's goals came from two-goal Chris McGee and James Janson with a penalty.

There were doubles for the Fell duo of Danny Bankhead and Michael Cuthbertson, who were joined by strikes from Derek Willis, Steven Mullholland and Lee Hutchinson.

In the second round of the Challenge Cup, Pelton Crown lost out to a golden goal winner when they came up against Grange Villa.

Eugene Morgan pounced in the second period of extra time after Stephen Cameron had scored for the Crown and Chris Greathead levelled for the Villa.