Chester-le-Street smashed Guisborough’s unbeaten Second Division record and boosted their own promotion hopes with a 5-0 win on Saturday.

Until Saturday, Chester had struggled with the second division following relegation last season, and manager Stuart Sherwood said; “Our problem was that we hadn’t been taking our chances, we haven’t underestimated anybody. We must have been creating eight or nine really good chances per game and not taking them until Saturday. The lads produced a massive performance.”

Chester got off to a great start after just 56 seconds when Nicky Kane scored from 20 yards, and they were 2-0 up in the fifth minute when Kane’s shot was blocked and Gary Shields tapped in. Recent signing Mark Davison headed the third after 15 minutes, and by the half hour mark Chester plundered another when Davison chested down a free kick for Kane to fire in. Another new signing, Liam McBryde, grabbed a fifth in the second half.

Guisborough’s defeat means that Newton Aycliffe are now only a point behind them following their 3-1 win at Horden.

They took the lead with a great goal by Anthony Campbell, who beat three men and scored with a right foot shot, and they went 2-0 up when Paul Broom finished off a good move. Horden pulled a goal back through Jack Honour, but Warren Byrne beat a defender and scored his ninth league goal of the season to make it 3-1..

Brandon, without a point this season, were within seconds of gaining their first against Crook Town, until the visitors scored deep into stoppage time.

Andy Appleby headed Crook into a first half lead for his seventh league goal of the season, but Brandon scored only their fourth league goal of the season from a Danny Corbett penalty. And just as it looked as if Brandon would hold on, Crook were awarded a hotly disputed penalty in stoppage time, that Jonathan Davis converted.

Marske are fifth after a 3-0 away win at Seaham Red Star, their third successive league win. Lewis Wood gave them a half time led from the edge of the box, and early in the second half Josh Myers set up Andy Swalwell to chest the ball down and fire the second. Danny Brunskill was on target again for the eighth successive game, to make sure of the points.

Darlington RA, who won at Esh Winning in the Durham Challenge Cup in midweek, are into the top half of the table after they won 1-0 at Hebburn, Michael Barnett scoring the all important goal to give them their fifth win of the season – more than they achieved in all of last season.

North Shields are up to eighth spot after they beat Gillford Park by a single goal from Keith Douglas midway through the first half. The game was held up at half time because of an injury to the referee.

Whitehaven are still unbeaten, after they defeated Thornaby 4-0. However, Thornaby missed some good chances in the game, and were caught pushing forward three times in the last twenty minutes.

Morpeth are still without a win in ten league games after they were beaten 5-2 at Team Northumbria, for whom former Darlington midfielder Dan Riley was amongst the goals. Morpeth were in the lead twice in the game.