Final Score: Whitley Bay 0 Darlington 3

With six games to go, Darlington finally have the Northern League title in their own hands.

While they enjoyed a 15th successive win with a 3-0 victory at Whitley Bay today, title rivals Spennymoor Town could only draw 1-1 at Bishop Auckland.

The results mean that the destiny of the title is, for the first time, in the hands of Quakers. They are on 106 points, 28 ahead of Spennymoor, who have nine games in hand.

Quakers scored twice from the spot in the first half at Hillheads, both by Stephen Thompson.

The first came on 28 minutes after a handball by Paul Chow. After a Craig Gott free-kick, Chow was adjudged to have handled, though the offence did not appear to be intentional.

Thompson blasted home his seventh successful penalty and soon he had an eighth, this time after Tomi Ameobi had tripped David Dowson.

Ameobi, brother of the two Newcastle players, had an excellent game, but was beaten to the ball by Dowson and from the spot Thompson made it 2-0 just before the break.

The third goal came midway through the second half, though it did not come via a Darlington player. From a Thompson cross, Bay defender James Novak inadvertently headed the ball beyond his own goalkeeper.

The final goal allowed Quakers to coast to victory, securing the points from another impressive performance against a team who, in theory, were expected to provide a stern test.

Darlington’s next match is at Heritage Park against West Auckland next Saturday.

Referee: B Gordon

Attendance: 1,146

Whitley Bay: Hayes, Fawcett, Novak, McFarlane, Ameobi, Scroggins, Pounder (Blake 73), Fairley (B Smith 67), Kerr, Chow (C Smith 84), Robinson. Subs (not used): Rowe, Brooking

Darlington: Bell; Harrison, Brown, Tait, Scott; Emms (Galbraith 67), Davis, Gott, Thompson; Dowson (Nicholls 79), Purewal (Johnson 73). Subs (not used): Turns (gk), Richardson