Durham manager Billy Cruddas blasted the referee after his team's 21 game unbeaten run in the league came to an end at Morpeth.

Cruddas was furious after the referee awarded Morpeth two first half penalties and sent off striker Micky Dunwell, and he stormed: "I always thought that a referee had to be 100 per cent sure if he was going to award a penalty, and there was no way he could have been.

"For the first penalty, there was a tangle of legs, and for the second, their player admitted that he dived when Steve Walklate tackled him.

"And he sent off Micky Dunwell for swearing when I felt other players had been doing so previously in the game, and nothing had been done about it."

Morpeth took the lead after 16 minutes when John Watson was adjudged to have fouled Andy Dugdale, who scored from the spot.

City tried to hit back, but they went two goals down when Steve Walker was brought down by Walklate, and Dugdale again obliged.

Morpeth went further ahead on 65 minutes from six yards, and after Dunwell was dismissed, Michael Canavan scored a consolation. However, the damage to Durham's title hopes was limited, as all of their nearest rivals also dropped points.

Second placed Bedlington conceded a late equaliser in a 3-3 draw at Billingham Town. Town took the lead when Dave Turner headed home a cross by Martin O'Riordan after nine minutes, and then Bedlington keeper Michael Robinson saved a Craig Skelton penalty following a foul on Carl Chillingsworth.

Bedlington recovered to equalise through a Kevin Walton shot from the edge of the box, and then took the lead after 35 minutes through Chris McKenzie from a Paul Dunn cross.

But Town levelled just before half time when Richie Ward scored from a corner, and then missed some good chances to go into the lead. Bedlington went 3-2 up through a Dunn shot, but Town gained a deserved point when Lee Ure made a good run and set up George Woodhouse for a simple tap in with ten minutes left.

Shildon, in third, could only draw 0-0 at home to Marske United in a game of few chances.

Second bottom Marske defended well throughout the game and are now unbeaten in three matches since Micky Hodgson returned as a manager. The closest Shildon came to scoring was a Jamie Middleton shot which was cleared off the line.

Dunston had to come from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Esh Winning at Federation Park. Craig Marron put Esh into the lead midway through the first half with a free kick from 20 yards, but Dunston pulled level with a Micky Farrey penalty for a foul on Paul Hollier.

Esh regained the lead with a solo goal by Steve Burns, and missed two chances to go further ahead, but Steve Pickering snatched a point for Dunston with a 25 yard shot, but five minutes from the end was dismissed for two yellow cards. Esh have signed midfielder Neil Loudon from Consett and striker Tony Healer from Brandon.

Horden are without a win in their last six matches after losing 3-0 at Brandon, pushing them closer to the relegation zone. Brandon midfielder Steve Huggins scored all of his side's goals.

He opened the scoring after 11 minutes when he picked up a pass from Mark Patterson and fired past Steve Tierney, then he did the same again from an Andy Cuthbertson pass. And he completed his first ever hat-trick in the second half, when he played a one-two with Stephen Flockett and beat Tierney.

West Auckland's Brian Fairhurst scored a spectacular goal from 50 yards in his team's 2-1 win at Tow Law.

Fairhurst spotted Tow Law keeper Andy Colling on the edge of his box, and lobbed him from a free kick on the halfway line to put West 2-0 up. West player-manager Alex Mathie, playing a sweeper, opened the scoring with a deflected shot. Tow Law pulled one back through Carl Beasley from the penalty spot, but West's Jonathan Milroy missed chances to make the game safe.

Peterlee are seventh after they beat Whitley Bay 3-2.

Rory Barker put them into the lead from a rebound after 23 minutes, and they went 2-0 up when Paul Harvey fired home from 25 yards.

Whitley hit back with a David McMahon penalty after he had been fouled just after half time, but Paul Hinton soon restored Peterlee's two goal advantage from close range. McMahon scored a second for Whitley, but they couldn't force an equaliser.

Chester-le-Street are now in the bottom three after they lost 1-0 at Thornaby, teenage striker Mattie Peverell scoring from a Mark Wheldon pass just before half time. Chester had Mark Errington dismissed for a foul in the second half.

Washington boosted their survival hopes with a 2-1 away win at bottom club Penrith. Tony Hanson gave them the lead with a shot from the edge of the box after 20 minutes, and further pressure brought them a second goal, scored by Keith Hutchinson after 55 minutes. Tim Bell pulled a goal back with a header with eight minutes left.

Jarrow Roofing are fifth after they beat Guisborough 4-1. Paul Chow took his goals tally for the season to 16 in the league with a double, with Adam Johnston also scoring two. John Ryan scored a late consolation for Guisborough.

The biggest score of the day was in the Second Division, where next to bottom Easington were hammered 8-0 at Whickham, to leave them four points adrift of safety. Ian Robson (3), Kevin Hay (2), Paul Cavanagh, Phil Greenwood and Graham Jackson were Whickham's scorers.

Consett continued their relentless march towards promotion, a Michael Pitt hat trick giving them the points in a 3-0 win at Seaham Red Star. The leaders are nine points ahead of Ashington, who won 3-2 at Evenwood, who had Kristian Dinsley sent off just before half time. Alan Hogg put Ashington into the lead after 18 minutes, but Wayne Brown levelled for Evenwood, who had two chances cleared off the line before Ashington hit back to lead 3-1 with goals from Marc Campbell and Hogg. Stephen Houlahan pulled a goal back for Evenwood from the penalty spot.

Washington Nissan are now third after they had a comfortable win at South Shields. Ian Matthews, Peter Ould and recent signing John Harrison were their scorers.

Crook lost to a late goal at home to Prudhoe after coming back from two goals down.

Gary McDonald and Phil Leavey seemed to put Nissan in control, but David Snow levelled with a near post header and then a penalty. But Prudhoe's Nicky Evans took advantage of some slack defending to score the winner late in the game.

Willington ended Murton's ten game unbeaten run with a 2-1 away win. Murton led at half time through Stephen Turner, but Kevin Shoulder and Mark Brischuck hit back for Willington, who are now seven points above danger. Norton climbed away from danger by winning 2-1 at Alnwick. Brian Sherlock opened the scoring from a corner, only for Mark Cockburn to level for Alnwick. However, Liam Aldridge fired the winner after 55 minutes.