New signing Adam Emson inspired Stokesley to climb out of the first division relegation zone with a 4-1 away win at Penrith.

Emson, signed from Bishop Auckland the day before the game, only took 8 minutes to get off the mark for his new club with a low shot, and then he created the second with a left wing cross for Anthony Hume to head in.

Penrith pulled a goal back through Mike Colman, but Emson had a major part in the third goal when he was tripped in the area, and Lev Yalcin scored from the spot. Yalcin converted another penalty for a foul late in the game.

Stokesley manager Ted Watts said; “Adam has got quality written all over him.”

Champions Spennymoor Town have closed down Consett’s lead and are on top of the league after producing one of their best performances of the season to crush Ashington 5-0.

Ashington didn’t have an answer to Moors in the first half. Gavin Cogdon gave them the lead from an acute angle after 20 minutes, and he also scored the second from a Leon Ryan assist. And it was just about over before half time when Cogdon crossed for Craig Ruddy to score into the bottom corner.

A well worked move between Steve Capper and Ruddy gave Steve Richardson to score his 13th league goal of the season, and then Ruddy opened up the Ashington defence for Adam Johnston to score the fifth.

Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley said: “We were unbelievable against a very good Ashington side. We were as good this week, as we were bad last week against Stokesley.”

Consett drew 2-2 with Bedlington, but they were leading 2-0 with ten minutes left, which means that they are now second on goal difference behind Spennymoor.

After a goalless first half, Consett took the lead on the hour when Jonjo Dickman found the bottom corner from the edge of the box, then Gavin Barton outpaced the defence and beat Bedlington keeper Paul Newton for his 14th league goal of the season.

But the Terriers pulled one back with 15 minutes left when Tony Shandran crossed for Alex Benjamin to head in, and after Consett’s Ryan Bell was dismissed for a professional foul, three minutes into added time Shandran headed in from a tight angle.

Consett manager Kenny Lindoe said: “The result felt more like a defeat. I thought Spennymoor were a point ahead of us until I realised that we had drawn.”

West Auckland drew their first league game of the season by 1-1 with South Shields at Darlington Road to stay in fifth.

Chris Winn gave Shields the lead from a Craig Armstrong pass, but West equalised through Chris Lunn’s 20 yarder on 48 minutes. West striker Mattie Moffat then put a penalty over the bar, before the game exploded with three sendings off. Lee Paul Scroggins was dismissed for two yellows, then Shields keeper Josh Carmichael and West’s Jonathan Gibson were sent off following a clash. There were also problems with the floodlights that almost caused the game to be abandoned.

Newcastle Benfield edged closer to the top three by coming from behind to win 2-1 at Norton. After Norton keeper Jim Provett saved an Adam Scope penalty, Conrad Hillerby’s side took the lead after 34 minutes with a 20 yarder by Karl Richards.

Benfield hit back in the second half, and Kevin Leighton levelled with a shot into the top corner, then Scope fired the winner.

Billingham Synthonia gave themselves a huge boost before their Vase game this Saturday by beating Tow Law 2-1 at Central Avenue.

Chris Burton gave them the lead on 41 minutes when he dispossessed a defender and beat Lawyers keeper Stephen Robinson, and they went 2-0 up when Richie Storr glanced in a Nathan Jameson free kick. Lawyers pulled a goal back with four minutes left through Matty Scott. Synthonia are now sixth off bottom, while Lawyers are only six points above the drop zone.

Billingham Synthonia assistant manager Lee Tucker said: “It was really good to go into our Vase game on the back of a good win.”

Sunderland RCA just got the better of Billingham Town by the best of seven. There were goals galore in the first half. John Toft and James Middleton scored for their respective sides in the opening minutes, then the RCA went 4-1 up through Keith Graydon (2) and Carl Beasley. Town launched a revival thanks to an own goal by Stephen Jones, and near the end Steve Flockett added another with a powerful strike.

Jarrow Roofing won for the first time in ten matches with a 3-0 away win at bottom club Ryton. Roofing took the lead after 4 minutes when Michael Coghlan fired into the top corner from 35 yards, and they went 2-0 up on 38 minutes when Peter Watling’s effort was turned into his own net by Michael Dunford. Roofing gained three valuable points when Watling curled the ball into the top corner.

Esh Winning pulled West Allotment into the relegation zone with them by winning 2-1 courtesy of a last minute winner.

Allotment led with a goal by Chris Reid just after half time, but Esh won the game with two goals in the last 15 minutes.

Paul Henderson-Reay levelled in a scramble with 15 minutes left, and in the dying seconds and in another scramble, Stuart Thompson scored the winner that gave Esh only their fourth win of the season. Allotment are now three points adrift of safety.

Esh Winning manager Peter Mulcaster said: "If we’d drawn, it would have been an injustice, because the players worked very hard.”