This is the second edition of the Northern League round-up which follows the games played on the 15th and 16th 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 Friday’s action at Grounsell Park as Heaton Stannington produced a 5-star display against Seaham Red Star.
A first-half masterclass blew away their visitors as Louis Anderson opened the scoring on eleven minutes and Sean Reid doubled the lead on 22 minutes.
The first-half rampage continued as Konner Lamb made it three on 36 minutes and Leighton Hopper added a fourth in added time with a lovely chip from the edge of the box.
The second-half tempo slowed down which was owing to the weather and the pitch becoming heavy but Heaton never looked in any danger and they completed the rout on 71 minutes through Andrew Burn.
Bishop Auckland were away in FA Cup action on Saturday against National League North outfit South Shields.
Bishops were flying the flag as the only team left from the Northern league and they took the game to their hosts. Bishops had a big penalty shout turned down in the first half and competed well throughout without either side creating any gilt-edged chances.
The tired legs of ten-man Bishops succumbed in the final ten minutes to two set pieces. Paul Blackett’s penalty on 81 minutes and a Martin Smith free kick on 84 minutes sealed Shields passage into the next round.
Carlisle City suffered just their second defeat of the season at home to unbeaten Shildon.
When Carlisle lose, they lose heavily. They went down 5-1 away at North Shields and this time around they were on the wrong end of a 6-0 scoreline. Shildon deserve credit for their unbeaten start to the season, this being their sixth win out of eight.
Joe Posthill’s stunning goalscoring form continued as he scored four taking him to twelve for the season. Luke Spalding and Andrei Ardelean completed the scoring in the 75th and 85th minute respectively.
Birtley arrived at the Daren Persson stadium as the league leaders and were looking to extend their good run.
They knew they’d be in for a tough test against North Shields and so it proved as the Robins exerted their dominance in the opening stages.
Regan Paterson finished well from a deep cross on 26 minutes. David Palmer capitalised on a defensive mistake less than ten minutes later to double the lead.
Birtley did have their chances though and got back into the game just before halftime. After a bit of pinball in the box, Alex Francis fired home from close range.
The second half continued with both sides trading chances but Birtley suffered a blow on 82 minutes as full-back Owen Lancaster was given his marching orders for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
The home side took full advantage as Thomas Potter capitalised on another defensive error two minutes from time to seal the three points.
Paul Edwards and Northallerton Town mutually parted ways following their 7-1 drubbing at home to West Allotment Celtic.
Lucas Lowery opened the scoring on 17 minutes and then the floodgates opened, as the returning Callum Larmouth scored on 28 minutes and Cyril Giraud made it three to take a commanding lead into the break.
The second half started with Northallerton giving themselves a lifeline on 51 minutes through midfielder Dale Hopson but this didn’t deter the visitors as Larmouth added his second just six minutes later.
Jacob Forster put the game definitely out of sight on the hour mark. Debutant Kyle Cockburn made it six on 70 minutes. Things went from bad to worse for the home side as Dan Jones was given his marching orders ten minutes from time and there was still time for Larmouth to complete his hat-trick on 88 minutes from the spot.
Sunderland RCA joined Northallerton in the seven-club as they went down 7-2 away at Green Lane, home of a rejuvenated Redcar Athletic.
RCA took the lead in this one on seven minutes as Jason Chanayire fired home. This served to drag life into the Steelmen as they responded in superb fashion, with chief tormentor Isaac Walker levelling on 21 minutes and then Matthew Tymon (40) and Liam Jarvie (45+1) goals put them in front going into the break.
It didn’t take long in the second half as defender Adam Wheatley made it four on 47 minutes. Tymon grabbed his second on 61 minutes and James Sayer helped himself to a quick-fire brace on 72 and 79 minutes.
Jackson Ward added a consolation five minutes from time but RCA remain winless under Dave Dickson.
Whitley Bay edged out Newcastle Benfield to fire themselves up to second with a 3-1 win in front of a crowd of 328.
The first half was a tightly contested affair separated by a Lewis Scorgie own goal on 28 minutes.
Benfield remained firmly in the game and they deservedly levelled the scores through Connor Walker on 58 minutes.
The pendulum swung the way of the home side fifteen minutes from time as Ben Richardson’s free-kick found its way through a sea of legs on 74 minutes for 2-1.
With the away side pushing for an equaliser Richardson made sure of the points three minutes from time, firing home from the edge of the box.
Division Two
Bedlington Terriers made it three home wins on the bounce to move up to third as they edged out bottom-of-the-table Washington.
Matthew Hayton’s 24th-minute strike was enough to separate the sides.
Paul Wardle’s Sunderland West End are going from strength to strength as they made it three wins out of three with a comfortable 4-0 win away to struggling Brandon United.
Ethan Goldsmith opened the scoring on 38 minutes and that’s how it stayed until halftime. The second half was one-way traffic, as further goals from Ben Lawton (58) and Charlie Upperton (61) ended the game as a contest.
There was still time for debutant Adam McGuiness to grab his first goal from the club on 73 minutes.
Chester-Le-Street Town have started the season in fine form and Steve Bowey was looking for a reaction from last week’s 3-1 defeat to Horden CW.
At home to FC Hartlepool they suffered a shock to the system as FC came out the blocks quickly in this one as first Brennan Ball fired the visitors in front on 15 minutes, before Joe Spalding deservedly doubled the lead on 27 minutes.
They should have extended their lead but a mix of poor finishing and good goalkeeping kept it at 2-0 going into half-time.
Hartlepool knew the home side would come out fighting and so it proved, as the second half was a bit of a backs-to-the-wall job. They were dealt a blow when Kieran Beattie gave Town a lifeline and they went in search of an equaliser.
The Hartlepool defence held firm to earn them a big three points on the road.
Chester-Le-Street United made it a bad day at the office for both Chester sides as they went down 3-2 at home to managerless Billingham Town.
Harry Close scored from the spot on 37 minutes to give Town a 1-0 lead at half-time.
The game became scrappy in the second half but it came to life with twenty minutes left. First Harry Laydon headed home an equaliser but just two minutes later, United went behind again as a low cross was turned into their own net by ex-football league stalwart Michael Nelson.
The visitors wrapped up the points on the counter-attack through winger Thomas Lowe on 84 minutes. Chester Le Street did grab a second with the last kick of the game through Dylan Wilkinson (90+5).
In the first Newcastle University v Newcastle Blue Star clash, it was Blue Star who grabbed the bragging rights as they came away from Essity Park with a 4-1 win.
Uni took the lead through Matthew Foster (17) but Blue Star responded in quick fashion through Paul Robinson (22) and then stepped it up a gear in the second half.
Nelson Ogbewe with a quick-fire double on 50 and 53 minutes and the scoring was completed by Michael Richardson on the ninety-minute mark.
Yarm & Eaglescliffe climbed up to eighth in the table with a 2-0 win at home to in-form Easington Colliery who suffered just their third defeat of the campaign.
The first half did the damage at Bedford Terrace, with Josh Larkin opening the scoring on 35 minutes and the imposing centre-back Cam Wild made it 2-0 on 43 minutes.
Now we come on to Friday night’s action in the second division, as Redcar Town went down 2-0 in Stokesley against Billingham Synthonia, who seem to have hit a bit of a green patch.
It was a tight affair until ex-Redcar man Carl Williams scored for the second time against the visitors this season, as he also scored for Billingham Town back in August.
The visitors pushed for an equaliser and it could of gone either way but Town were dealt a sucker punch in injury time. On the counter, Synthonia fired a cross low across the goal which was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Jamie Lee.
The Valley Derby produced a fantastic turnout of 422, as Prudhoe YC grabbed the bragging rights.
A 3-1 victory on Ryton’s home patch on Friday night with all the goals coming in a thrilling second half.
Brad Lowes scored the game’s first goal on fifty minutes with Ben Dibb-Fuller doubling the visitor’s lead on 64 minutes.
The game became nervy again as Fergus Lynch scrambled home a lifeline on 68 minutes. Prudhoe sealed a vital three points as Kyle Cockburn scored on 82 minutes after striker Aaron Costello had seen red on the 74-minute mark.
Prudhoe jumped up to tenth and a place above rivals Ryton who now sit in eleventh.