Northern League Division One round-up
No changes at the top or the bottom of the first division this week, with sides at both ends continuing along a similar trajectory.
Birtley Town bounced back from their midweek defeat against Boro Rangers, which was their first in their maiden campaign in the first division, with a comfortable 6-0 victory over Sunderland RCA in a top vs. bottom clash.
Six individual scorers for the Hoops saw Callum Turnbull open the scoring for the home side, who headed into half-time three goals ahead after Owen Lancaster and Glen Hargrave added near the break. Stephen Hall added a spot-kick of his own either side of a goal from Liam Wotherspoon and a late injury time cherry on the cake for Drew Lake.
In the most attended fixture of the weekend, second-placed Bishop Auckland were 4-1 victors over Northallerton Town who find themselves in a battle at the other end of the table. Andrew May’s opener was cancelled out by Craig Hutchinson with 15 minutes played, but a Marcus Giles brace helped the two-blues to a victory.
Giles first came on the stroke of half-time, he was on duty again for his second of the day with less than ten minutes on the clock before Louis Johnson added the final blow.
Tow Law joined their previously mentioned competitors in the bottom three in failing to get their first win of the season, with a narrow loss against Crook Town. Benjamin Urwin put the hosts in front with nine minutes played, but first-half goals from Toby Pascoe and Craig Moody saw the visitors return to Crook with the three points.
Joe Posthill was posted up on the penalty spot on two occasions in the first half Shildon’s 3-0 win over Whickham, continuing their undefeated start to the league season. Converting both times to stretch his goal tally to six for the season, Posthill added to the opener of Leighton Harris.
After suffering a somewhat slow start to the season, with three draws in their last four coming into the weekend, Redcar Athletic got their first win on the board in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 win away at West Allotment Celtic.
An electric opening 20 minutes saw four goals. Isaac Walker’s opener was added to by Daniel Boyle, before the hosts pegged one back with Callum Larmouth converting from the penalty spot. Walker was again on hand to re-extend the host’s lead.
It’s a lead that would remain at two until Layton Watts added a fourth in the 90th minute, West Allotment seeing the game out with ten men after Jack Errington was sent off in the early stages of the second half.
There were to be two late red cards shown to Newcastle Benfield in their 3-1 loss to Carlisle City. Two goals down with five to play, both Aiden Haley and Dennis Knight were given their marching orders on either side of Jordan Palmer’s 90th-minute addition to the goal tally.
Three 2-1s in the remaining three fixtures, with a brace in each proving to be the decisive factor.
For Whitley Bay Lewis Suddick was on hand to earn his side the victory, as was Kurtis Howes for Guisborough Town and Sean Reid for Heaton Stannington.
