Shocks abound in FA Cup

Two Northern League First Division sides have beaten teams from the UniBond First Division over the last few days, while two more have lost, prompting debate that the two sections are of the same standard.

But it also has to be said that there were some disappointing results for the ANL against Northern Counties East and West League clubs last Saturday.

Guisborough had an excellent victory at UniBond League Kendal in a penalty shootout in their replay.

Guisborough were 2-0 down by the 48th minute, but then they launched a fightback, with Simon Kasonali and John Ryan scoring within the space of five minutes. Guisborough had the chances to pinch it, but in the end they had keeper Stephen Gill to thank, as he saved a vital penalty with the score 8-7 to Guisborough in the shoot-out.

Billingham Synthonia were within five minutes of a great win at UniBond League club Chorley, but they went out 3-1.

Synners hit the post through Chris Garbett in the first half, and they took the lead after 85 minutes when Craig Perry scored from 25 yards.

But Chorley levelled in the third minute of stoppage time, and then scored twice in extra time.

Shildon beat UniBond League Workington last weekend, while Peterlee lost to Bridlington.

Billingham Town had a fine 1-0 win over FA Vase winners Brigg Town in their replay.

Brigg had the better of the chances in the game, with Simon Roach hitting the post while Darren Collier pulled off a couple of good saves.

But Town got the winner after 82 minutes when Brian Cole drove the ball across the face of goal, and Carl Chillingsworth turned it in. Cole nearly added a second near the end.

Durham City finally saw off Rossington Main 1-0 in their replay.

City missed a lot of chances on Saturday, and it was the same story again in the first half in South Yorkshire.

But Robbie Herbert played a one-two with ten minutes left, and he chipped the keeper to break the deadlock.

Tow Law lost 4-3 at Salford, despite a hat-trick from Danny Craggs. Lawyers were always behind in the game, and trailed 2-0 at half time. Full-back Carl Beasley had to play in goal, because of an injury to first choice Andy Sams.

Washington lost in a penalty shootout 6-5 to Selby Town, the match not finishing until 10.30pm. The two teams were level 3-3 at the end of extra time.

In the ANL first division, Penrith's Barry Irving missed a last minute penalty which cost them victory against Morpeth. Ryan Errington put Penrith into the lead after 43 minutes, but Paul Beavers scored after 70 minutes.

Shildon are now top of the league after they beat previous leaders Horden 5-2 on Wednesday night. Horden led 2-1 at half time, with goals by Kevin Devine and Andy Allen, but Shildon stormed back in the second half. Lee Ellison (2), Gary Barnes, David Bayles and Danny Richmond scored for Shildon.

Brandon defeated Thornaby 2-0, with goals by Tony Healer and Anthony McStea.

In the second division, Newcastle Blue Star lost their 100 per cent record after being held to a 3-3 draw at Kennek Ryhope CA. The home side led 3-1 with ten minutes left, until Lee Ludlow scored twice, one of them a penalty. Ryhope's scorers were Phil Bell, Phil Thompson and an own goal, with Christian Priest replying.

Shotton won their first game of the season with a 3-0 win at Norton, with goals from Michael Pittam, David Angel and Lee Peachey.

Shotton have appointed former Middlesbrough and Sunderland striker Stan Cummins as their new manager. Cummins was with Norton last season and briefly moved to Thornaby as assistant manager during the summer, before taking the Shotton job.

Norton are still bottom, just below Willington, who were thumped 6-0 at home by Ashington. Alex Lawson scored his second hat trick in four days for Ashington, - scoring all his goals in the first half - while Steve Sinclair, Stuart Hepple and Ross Atkinson got the others. Ashington have won all four of their league games, and have yet to concede a goal.

Crook striker David Snow also scored a hat-trick in their 4-1 win at Murton. Ben Hutchinson scored for Murton, until Snow and Andrew Morris hit back for Crook.

Northallerton won 2-1 at Prudhoe. Anthony Roberts put Northallerton into the lead, with Gary McDonald equalising. However, Andy Harbron popped up with the winner.

Evenwood lost 2-0 at home to Alnwick, for whom Jason Belisle and Michael Dixon scored.

Consett beat Washington Nissan 4-0, with youngster Andy Green scoring a hat-trick. Consett are now second in the table behind Ashington. Nissan had Steve Hutchinson sent off for a foul, while Consett's Richie Pitt, who scored the first goal, went for retaliation in the same incident.

Evenwood have obtained a £3,500 grant from Durham County Council's Community Project Development Fund to assist them in the development of the first phase of their proposals for an East Teesdale Soccer Development Programme and the wider East Teesdale Sport & Exercise Development Programme.

Evenwood's existence as a Northern League club has been threatened by the problems with their floodlights, but they are still pressing ahead with plans to provide sports facilities and a programme of sports activities for the area. The club is seeking to become a FA Charter standard club, a pre-requisite for obtaining Football Foundation funding - and that could be a first for a non-league club in this area.

Durham County Council is also looking at the possibility of developing the old Randolph Coke Works site for new pitches and changing facilities. It is then hoped to run junior sides at different age levels if and when the work is completed.

The funding from the Project Development Fund will enable the club to part fund the development costs of the project, which hopefully will attract major funding from the Football Foundation, the EEC, and Charitable Trusts amongst other funding bodies. "It is excellent news for the club, but even better news for the community and in particularly the youngsters in the area" said manager Ken Houlahan.

Meanwhile, there was controversy over Evenwood's 5-3 cup exit at the hands of Oldham Town last Saturday.

Houlahan was annoyed about the some of the incidents which took place, and he said: "We believe that one of our players was bitten by an opponent, so we have taken photographs and sent them to the FA."

Former West Auckland boss Graeme Forster has agreed to help his old club with coaching duties for the next fortnight in Peter Mulcaster's absence. Forster was manager of West until he left the club three years ago. He has since been manager of Tow Law.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a happy return for Forster last Saturday, because West lost to a second half goal at Maltby in the FA Cup.

Shildon have placed keeper Adam Clementson on the transfer list at his own request. Clementson has recently lost his place to former Middlesbrough trainee John Jackson, signed in the summer from Marske.

Meanwhile, Shildon are appealing against the five week suspension handed out to midfielder David Bayles after his dismissal against Brandon in the pre-season Cleator Cup.

Washington Nissan's new signing, Ian Matthews, scored on his debut last Saturday against Norton in the 4-0 win. Matthews has played under Nissan manager Wilf Constantine at Shotton and Easington, and was signed from Tow Law.

However, Nissan will probably be without keeper Frank Johnson for some weeks. Johnson, who was on Darlington's books a few years ago, has a thigh injury, so Nissan have signed Chris Errington from Seaham as a replacement.

Durham striker Andrew Shaw could be out of action for several weeks.

Shaw, signed from Spennymoor during the summer, injured his ankle in the first half against Rossington Main on Saturday and had to be put in plaster.

It was a bad day all round for City, because not only were they held to a 0-0 draw by the Northern Counties East League side, they also lost Craig Lake and Sam Kitchen to injury also.

Billingham Town have lost striker Craig Skelton to Spennymoor.

Moors submitted seven days' notice of approach to Skelton whilst previous boss Alex Mathie was in charge, but their new manager, Tony Lee, followed up the interest at the weekend.

Skelton didn't play in Town's FA Cup tie at Brigg last Saturday, and Town agreed to Moors' request for the player to appear at Blyth on Tuesday night.

Skelton has played in the UniBond League before for Whitby Town, and was one of the reasons why Billingham Town finished in the top three of the Northern League last season.

Meanwhile, work has started on Town's new floodlight system. Foundation work has started thanks to a grant from the FA, and they should be able to stage matches again within a month. The FA Cup replay against Brigg had to be switched to Thornaby in midweek.

Consett manager Ray Lish has returned to management following a mild heart attack.

Lish was rushed to hospital after Consett's game against Hebburn, and was expected to be recuperating for several weeks.

However, he amazed everybody by returning in time for Consett's game at Willington on Bank Holiday Monday. "He turned up to the astonishment of everyone," said secretary Ian Hamilton.

Seaham Red Star manager Neil Hixon refuses to blame anyone for the club's exit from the FA Cup last Saturday.

Because of an injury to regular Keith Finch, and the fact that new signing Craig McCulloch wasn't registered seven days beforehand, 41-year-old assistant manager Rob Brook had to go in goal against Murton last Saturday. Seaham surprisingly lost 4-3.

Hixon refused to point the finger at Brook, and said: "Rob did us a big favour. To be honest, it was either him or me because we were that short of players. I ended up sitting on the bench.

"Rob did well. He made a couple of decent saves, but the rest of the team did poorly. We missed a lot of good chances to make sure of victory long before Murton scored in the last minute."

Murton are now away to Chester-le-Street in the next round a week on Saturday.

Former Hartlepool striker Dean Gibb made his first appearance of the season for Newcastle Blue Star at Kennek Ryhope in midweek.

Gibb, the assistant at the Wheatsheaf to Warren Teasdale, came on for the last 15 minutes, and helped to salvage a point.

"Dean really livened things up, and made a big difference up front," said Teasdale.

Kennek Ryhope CA secretary Owen Haley thought that 3-3 draw between the two sides was "one of the best for years". And he went on to say: "The sad thing is, that we have played very well this season, and have got only six points on the board." Ryhope are hoping for a promotion challenge to the First Division, in which they haven't played for 15 years.

The revised draw for the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on September 13 is: Stocksbridge v Prudhoe, Clitheroe v Brandon, Winsford v Marske, Durham City v Shildon, Ashington v Woodley Sports or Ramsbottom United, Thornaby v Guisborough, Armthorpe v Whickham , Bishop Auckland v Pickering, Chester-le-Street v Murton, Dunston v Billingham Town, Skelmersdale v Consett, Fleetwood v Bedlington.

Scoring records

Four goals: Gary Barnes (Shildon v West Auckland, August 25)

Hat-tricks: Division One: John Ryan (Guisborough v Washington, August 20), John Milner (Bedlington v Thornaby, August 23)

Division Two: Kevin Shoulder (Willington v Crook, August 16), Alex Lawson (Ashington v Willington, September 2), David Snow (Crook v Murton, September 2), Andy Green (Consett v Washington Nissan, September 3).

Leading scorers

Division One: Gary Barnes (Shildon) 6, Lee Ellison (Shildon) 6, John Milner (Bedlington) 5, Paul Beavers (Morpeth) 5, Tony Healer (Brandon) 4, Chris I'Anson (Horden) 4, John Ryan (Guisborough) 3, David Yale (Peterlee) 3, Kraig Wilkinson (Chester-le-Street) 3, Wayne Edgcumbe (Whitley Bay) 3.

Division Two: David Snow (Crook) 5, Kevin Shoulder (Willington) 4, Paul Terrell (Consett) 4, Andy Green (Consett) 4, Lee Ludlow (Newcastle Blue Star) 4, Stephen Young (Newcastle Benfield Saints) 3, Alex DiGeorgis (Easington) 3, Alex Lawson (Ashington) 3.

Fixtures - Tomorrow

FA Vase first qualifying round

Billingham Synthonia v Brodsworth

Chester-le-Street v Marske

Evenwood v Ashington

(at West Auckland)

Guisborough v Maltby Main

Liversedge v Kennek Ryhope CA

Norton v Tadcaster Albion

Penrith v Flixton

Washington v Warrington

Division One

Billingham Town v Peterlee

Durham v Dunston

Esh Winning v Shildon

Horden v Bedlington

Morpeth v Brandon

Thornaby v Tow Law

Whitley Bay v West Auckland

Division Two

Alnwick v Murton

Crook v Consett

Newcastle Blue Star v Easington

Northallerton v N'castle Benfield St

Seaham Red Star v Washington Nissan

Shotton v Prudhoe

South Shields v Hebburn

Willington v Whickham

Tuesday - Division One

Chester-le-Street v Esh Winning

Marske v Jarrow Roofing

West Auckland v Penrith

Whitley Bay v Billingham Synthonia

Division Two

Ashington v Consett

Easington v Washington Nissan

Kennek Ryhope CA v Whickham

Murton v Northallerton

Prudhoe v Newcastle Blue Star

Willington v Evenwood

Wednesday - Division One

Washington v Shildon

Division Two

Hebburn v Seaham Red Sta