It was a good night for defending champions and league leaders Spennymoor in the STL Northern League, as two of their nearest rivals were beaten.

Second placed Shildon were beaten 1-0 at home by Billingham Synthonia.

Shildon’s Chris Hughes missed two good chances in the first half, with new signing Danny Earl also going close for Synners, and in the second half Hughes missed with a header from six yards. Nathan Jameson nearly won it for Synners when he cleverly created space for himself twelve yards out, but fired over the top with just Keith Finch to beat. Synners got the winner with ten minutes left when Earl hit the crossbar, but James Magowan followed up to score.

West Auckland damaged Consett’s title hopes with a 3-2 win at Belle Vue. Consett took the lead after 30 minutes through Dale Burrell’s 20 yarder, but West levelled when Mattie Moffat scored from a Martin Young free kick at the second attempt.

Adam Nicholls made it 2-1 to West just after half time after Dan Hindmarsh’s shot was blocked, and then Chris Renshaw headed the third from a Young free kick. Consett had Anthony Lund sent off for two yellows and Moffat was carried off for West, before Jamie Poole scored a late goal for the home side. West had to play the last 15 minutes with ten men after Moffat's injury.

West Allotment’s hopes of avoiding the drop suffered a blow when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bishop Auckland.

It was a fairly even first half with both sides hitting the post, and Bishops took the lead on 67 minutes through Darren Richardson in a goalmouth scramble. Allotment levelled through Paul Chapman’s tap in after 73 minutes.

Guisborough Town won the North Riding Senior Cup with a 1-0 win over Marske United.

There wasn’t much in the game in the first half, but Guisborough took the lead just after half time with a header by skipper David Onions from a corner.

Marske tried to hit back, but they couldn’t break through, even though Guisborough had Austin Johnson dismissed for retaliation with ten minutes left.

The two sides meet again in a promotion clash on Saturday. The crowd tonight was 599.

Hebburn beat Thornaby 3-1 in the second division. They took the lead after 8 minutes when Tony Stephenson set up Garry McCartney to score from 10 yards, and Stephenson was involved in the build up to the second goal on 38 minutes when Dean Walker scored from just inside the area. It was 3-0 just after the hour when Walker set up Dean Nicholson to score from the edge of the box. Alex Marshall pulled a late goal back for Hebburn from a corner.

Wednesday Evostik League Premier Division Whitby Town 1 (Hackworth) Hucknall 0 North Riding Senior Cup final.

Guisborough 1 (Onions) Marske 0 (at Stokesley).

Northumberland Senior Cup semi final.

Newcastle Benfield 0 Blyth 2 (Hookes, Turnbull) STL Northern League Division One.

Consett 2 (Burrell, Poole) West Auckland 3 (Moffat, Nicholls, Renshaw), Shildon 0 Billingham Synthonia 1 (Magowan), West Allotment 1 (Chapman) Bishop Auckland 1 (D Richardson).

Division Two Hebburn 3 (McCartney, Walker, D Nicholson) Thornaby 1 (Marshall).