This is the very first edition of our Northern League round-up which is following the games played on the 9th of September in Divisions One and Two.
Content supplied by Andy S, who runs the Northern League Fan Page on X (Twitter)
Division One
We start off with current Northern League leaders Birtley Town who brushed aside a winless Sunderland RCA 6-0 at the Arrowmark Stadium.
This got them back to winning ways after last week’s home defeat to fellow promotion side Boro Rangers. Goals came at regular intervals from Callum Turnbull (16 pen), Owen Lancaster (45), Glen Hargrave (45+2), Liam Wotherspoon (56), Stephen Hall (76 pen) and Drew Lake wrapped it up in added time.
Bishop Auckland also gained three points at home to another winless side in Northallerton Town, as they won 4-1 to put more pressure on manager Paul Edwards.
An eighth-minute goal from Andrew May was the perfect start but the visitors responded as early as the 15th minute. The deadly Craig Hutchinson equalised and it stayed that way until the stroke of halftime when the returning Marcus Giles made it 2-1.
The game ebbed and flowed until Bishops took the game away from Northallerton as another Marcus Giles goal (81) and Louis Johnson (86) made it four.
Guisborough Town moved up to sixth with a 2-1 win at home to Cumbrian outfit Penrith, with summer signing Kurtis Howes scoring a brace. His first came from the penalty spot after twenty minutes.
Leon Morrison replied for the visitors in added time of the first half and whatever manager Steve Bell had said at halftime came to fruition as early as the 49th minute, as Howes grabbed his second.
Carlisle City’s fine form continued on the road at Newcastle Benfield.
Since their 5-1 hammering at the hands of North Shields on the 9th of August, Carlisle have gone six games unbeaten in all competitions.
This time around It was three goals without reply for the Cumbrians, with goals coming from Samuel Atkinson (42), Jack Dickinson (53) and Jordan Palmer (90). The hosts finished the game with nine men as Aden Haley and Dennis Knight saw red late on.
Whitley Bay edged past Seaham Red Star 2-1 at the Independent Utility Advice Arena. A really close game went the way of the visitors courtesy of a double from Lewis Suddick who scored in the 37th and 67th minutes to cancel out Brad Chisholm’s 50th-minute equaliser for the home side.
Shildon hosted a Whickham side fresh from their FA Cup exploits against big guns Macclesfield FC and they blew their visitors away in the first 45 minutes. They raced into a 3-0 lead as two penalties from wide man Joe Posthill and a diving header from Leighton Harris stunned the visitors.
The score did finish 3-0 as Whickham managed to shore up their backline in the second half but couldn’t muster any response as Shildon moved up to third and Whickham slipped to eleventh.
West Allotment Celtic have started this season in indifferent form with only two wins from their opening seven games. They hosted a winless Redcar Athletic side whose start to the season has also taken everyone by surprise, as Athletic were many people’s pick to fight for promotion.
However, with no wins from their opening five games, something had to give and the visitors finally kickstarted their season, romping to a 4-1 victory with two goals from star man Isaac Walker. Further goals from Danny Boyle and Layton Watts sealed a much-needed three points for Gary Forster’s side. The host’s reply came from a Callum Larmouth penalty on fifteen minutes and they also finished the game with ten men as Jack Errington saw red in the 47th minute.
Heaton Stannington required two penalties to seal a big three points away to West Auckland.
Sean Reid confidently dispatched them both in the first half, as they came from behind after Josh Scott had given West the lead on eight minutes.
An action-packed first half also saw Liam Potter receive his marching orders in the 39th minute for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Tow Law Town have had a disastrous start to their Division One campaign and after suffering an 8-0 defeat in the FA Cup at the hands of visitors Crook Town two weeks ago, few could be forgiven for thinking this would be another heavy beating.
To their credit, Tow Law came out and made a game of it against Mattie Thompson’s Black & Amber army. They even took the lead in the ninth minute through Ben Urwin but Crook responded with a goal from Toby Pascoe in the 39th minute. It looked like the sides would go in level but up popped Craig Moody to edge Crook ahead 2-1 right on half time.
Both sides played their part in a largely uneventful second half, though it must be said, it’s the first time there have been two drinks breaks at Ironworks Road, a rarity indeed!
Division Two
Bedlington Terriers got back to winning ways after their midweek defeat to Sunderland West End, with a 4-2 victory at home to Newcastle University.
The Uni side went in front on fifteen minutes through Chris Pearson but Owen Imeson levelled it up for the home side on 43 minutes.
The second half was then lit up as striker Matthew Hayton helped himself to a hat-trick with a consolation reply from Matthew Foster.
Billingham Town are left searching for a new manager once again after the resignation of Steve Cockerill in midweek.
Their first game since his exit did not bring any reward as they were comfortably beaten by an improving Jarrow side who grabbed their sixth win of the campaign.
Joe Hunter won and scored his first-half penalty and second-half goals from Robert Ene and an injury-time strike from Evan Whittle saw the points go back up the A19.
League leaders Blyth Town hammered the young guns Chester Le Street United 7-1 at Gateway Park, as six different scorers got on the scoresheet.
Three goals in three minutes stunned the visitors as Robbie Dale opened the scoring on 22 minutes and a Louis Calverts brace on 23 and 24 minutes.
Debutant Lee Waugh added a fourth just before half time and the second half followed suit, with Ben Fell (50), Brandon Slater (83) and Lucas Cooper (90+3) completing the rout.
Daniel Walton got the visitor’s consolation.
Brandon United have been the talk of the Northern League circuit recently, but not for the right reasons.
However, they must be commended for getting a side out to travel to league newcomers FC Hartlepool who were looking to prove a point after two straight defeats.
It was a tough day for the young Brandon side as they were on the wrong end of a 9-0 scoreline.
A first-half hat-trick from Alex Hutchinson (3, 11, 23) and braces apiece for Connor Short (64, 81) and Ben Henderson (48, 74) were followed by goals from Lewis Murphy (9) and Craig Linsel (66).
Horden Community Welfare’s battle for promotion took a big positive step as they defeated another side vying for promotion in Chester Le Street Town 3-1 at Welfare Park.
Josh Home-Jackson gave the home side a 2-0 lead at the break with goals coming on 35 and 46 minutes.
The second half started at a frantic pace, Aaron Hardy reduced the arrears on 49 minutes but the deficit lasted less than a minute as top marksman Jack Pounder made it 3-1 .
Newcastle Blue Star have made a great start to life in the Northern League since promotion from the Northern Football Alliance.
They went into their game with Boldon CA unbeaten but the Scotswood outfit was left stunned as the visitors left with a 2-0 win to inflict their first defeat of the season.
Levi Collins gave Boldon an early lead on ten minutes and then doubled the lead on 66 minutes from the penalty spot.
Olly Hotchkiss’s Easington Colliery side are going from strength to strength at the moment.
They continued their good form this weekend, romping to a 4-0 win against an inconsistent Prudhoe Youth Club at Essity Park.
First-half goals from Thomas Best (8) and Liam McBryde’s penalty on 25 minutes saw them take a 2-0 lead in at the break.
Winger Jay Roper added a double in the second half to make it four.
Redcar Town went down 2-0 at home to the Northern League’s new boys, Yarm & Eaglescliffe at Mo Mowlam Memorial Park.
They played before a healthy crowd of 145.
The game was a tight affair until second-half goals from centre-back Cam Wild (68) and Charlie Fixter (80) sealed the three points.
There were recent rumours that Paul Wardle’s job was on the line. Any of those fears were dispelled as two wins from two have changed the feeling around the Sunderland West End camp.
Following their 3-1 midweek away win at high-flying Bedlington Terriers, West End followed this up by battering Esh Winning 5-0 at the Ford Hub.
The first half only produced one goal as Cobi Jones missed a 36th-minute penalty to give Esh the lead. This was compounded further, as just at half time, Bailey Rhodes helped himself to the first of his two goals.
Lewis Lynn headed in for 2-0 on 65 minutes, followed by Rhodes second on 69 minutes. Niall Fingleton came off the bench to grab a brace of his own on 77 and 84 minutes.
Thornaby played just their second home game of the season against Ryton & Crawcrook Albion, in front of a crowd of 207.
They were humbled by the visitors who turned the game on its head after Billy Clark’s second-minute opener for the hosts.
Abubaker Salim equalised on eight minutes and Aaron Costello’s 25th-minute penalty completed the turnaround.
It got even better for the visitors on 25 minutes as Daniel Craggs made it 3-1. It stayed that way until deep into stoppage time when Aaron Costello wrapped it up on 98 minutes to heap more pressure on manager Deano Browne.
Washington slipped to the bottom of the Northern League following their home defeat to Stokesley outfit Billingham Synthonia.
The game was goalless at halftime but it was the visitors who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.
Mitchell Noble headed home to make it 1-0 just on the hour mark and Carl Williams doubled Synners lead on 72 minutes after rounding the home keeper. The three points were wrapped up by Matthew Willshaw three minutes from time.