Leaders Team Northumbria have now scored over 100 goals for the season after winning 4-0 at Washington.

The division’s top scorer, Peter Watling opened the scoring after 5 minutes, and then he got the second from a Dean Critchlow pass. Former Darlington midfielder Dan Riley made it 3-0 from a long clearance, and Tom Davies scored from a free kick for the fourth.

Hebburn are now up to sixth thanks to a 3-0 home win over Brandon. They took the lead after 12 minutes when Liam McBryde scored from an Alex Benjamin cross, then McBryde set up Dan Kirkup for the second on the half hour. Callum Charlton scored an excellent third, a volley into the top corner from 25 yards.

Hebburn manager Paul Bennett said: “It was a game where points mattered more than the performance. It was a scrappy, but we scored three goals and kept a clean sheet. We’ve got s hard month ahead now.”

West Allotment are level with Hebburn after a good second half performance gave them a 3-1 home win over Chester-le-Street. Dean Lee scored from a Gary Day pass to put Allotment into the lead, but Callum Patton levelled for Chester with a 20 yarder. However, Sean Reid restored Allotment’s lead from the spot, and Scott Fenwick broke away and scored the third.

West Allotment manager Paul Stoneman said; “It was a very disappointing first half and we were lucky to go in 1-1. Chester battered us in the first half, but in the second half we stopped them playing and gradually we took control and in the end deserved the three points.”

Chester-le-Street manager Anth Smith said: “It was a great first half performance and we should have gone into half time with a clear lead. The second half was a more even game with both teams having a go. We showed our naivety at times with six under 19s in the starting line up. A soft penalty and a defensive error being the difference between the two teams. Overall I was reasonably pleased with the scoreline, which really flattered West Allotment.”

Surprise packages Birtley are fourth after picking up a good point in a 2-2 away draw at North Shields. John Grey and Paul Gordon in turn put Shields ahead, but John Martin twice equalised.

Birtley manager Scott Oliver said: “We were awful in the first half, but much better in the second. We thought we had a definite penalty in the last ten minutes, and that was tough to take.”

Peter Mulcaster picked up a point in his first game in charge of second bottom Horden against promotion chasing Esh Winning.

Craig Mickle scored his 23rd league goal of the season for Esh to put them ahead, but Aaron Ramsbottom equalised for hard working Horden.

Horden manager Peter Mulcaster said: “We deserved to get something out of the game. We didn’t play much football, but the lads gave everything.”

Esh Winning manager Andrew Soppitt said: “We were terrible, well below par and lucky to come away with a point.”

Former Crook player Gavin Barton scored all four of Gillford Park’s goals in their 4-0 home win against his old club. It was the second time since joining Gillford a month ago that he had scored four in a game. Barton scored three of his goals in the second half to keep Gillford second.

Crook manager Gary Pearson said: “It was a good battle, but one man made the difference and showed his class. Four chances and four goals. We didn’t deserve a four goal battering, but now we’re set for the Whickham game, in which we owe them one. I thought we missed Leon Ryan.”

Bottom club Easington picked up a useful point in a 2-2 draw with Whitehaven, to put them four points away from safety. Easington went two goals down to efforts by David Dustin and Craig Robson, but Easington hit back with two goals by Paul Moss.

Easington general manager Andy Colledge said: “As a club, we’re improving week by week, and after two poor displays we should have taken three points but for missed chances and a goal which was ruled offside. But it’s a point closer to safety.”

Seaham Red Star are now looking more anxiously over their shoulders after they were beaten 2-0 at Morpeth, but they were furious with some refereeing decisions. Ashley McAlpine and Chris Lunn scored for Morpeth, who are now up to third.

Seaham manager Steve Cook said: “It had 0-0 written all over it. A slow start to the second half cost us the game. Injuroes hampered our performance as did an inept performance from the referee, but at the end of the day it’s points lost.”

Northallerton won for the first time in eight league games when they beat Thornaby 3-0 at Ainderby Road. Colin Anderson, Darren Mowbray and Carl Chillingsworth scored for Northallerton.

Thornaby, who had Dave Turner sent off in the first half, have won just once in 14 league matches.

Northallerton manager Mark Fanning said: “It was good to get back to winning ways. It was a really solid performance that laid the foundation for the win. We let our standards slip in the second half but you can’t argue with trhee points and a clean sheet.”

Thornaby manager Ray Morton said: “The sending off of Dave Tuner changed the game. We missed some good chances, but played well. In the second half, numbers eventually told. Northallerton didn’t have that many chances, but strange refereeing didn’t help.”

In the other game, Ryton and Crawcrook won 2-1 away at Whickham, thanks to a last minute winner by Mark Eccles. Paul Henderson-Reay had earlier put Ryton into the lead, with Steve Aiston equalising.