Spennymoor manager Peter Mulcaster named himself as one of the substitutes at Colwyn Bay on Tuesday night.

Mulcaster, 54, was forced to sit on the bench in a playing capacity because of late injuries and unavailability for the long trip to North Wales.

Mulcaster said: "I didn't really have any option, because we were missing so many players. I was crossing my fingers and hoping that there weren't any injuries."

This was the game which Moors failed to attend last month for financial reasons. At one stage, it looked as if they might win only their third game of the season, because they led 1-0 and then 2-1. They took the lead when Craig Veart (pictured, below) scored from the spot after new signing Danny Jones was fouled, and after the Welsh club equalised from the spot, Jones fired Moors back in front. But after Moors had Jeremy Pratt sent off for two bookable offences, Colwyn took control and they snatched victory late in the game.

Bishop Auckland won 2-0 at Bamber Bridge in a physical game, which saw two of the home players red-carded in the last ten minutes.

They took the lead after 62 minutes with a penalty from Andrew Shaw, who added the second from a rebound after Anthony Lee's shot was blocked.

Bishops are at Marine on Tuesday night for their League Cup semi final

Premier Division

P W D L F A Pts

Emley 35 26 6 3 71 31 84

Stalybridge 35 24 9 2 80 25 81

Bishop Auckland 34 20 5 9 66 42 65

Lancaster 34 19 7 8 72 53 64

Altrincham 37 16 9 12 69 50 57

Worksop 32 15 9 8 81 49 54

Gainsborough 36 14 10 12 42 44 52

Barrow 34 14 9 11 61 50 51

Hucknall 33 14 9 9 43 41 51

Accrington 37 13 9 15 56 58 48

Gateshead 33 12 8 13 53 47 44

Hyde 33 12 8 13 62 56 44

Runcorn 33 12 8 12 45 54 44

Whitby 36 12 8 16 51 63 44

Blyth Spartans 34 12 6 16 47 49 42

Bamber Bridge 34 12 6 16 45 55 42

Burscough 32 11 8 13 46 49 41

Droylsden 34 12 4 18 40 59 40

Marine 34 9 10 15 44 58 37

Leek Town 34 10 7 16 33 47 37

Frickley 37 7 12 18 45 73 33

Colwyn Bay 33 7 8 18 47 79 29

*Spennymoor 34 2 3 29 26 89 8

* Denotes one point deducted