Esh Winning manager Barry Fleming was delighted with teenage keeper Lee Robertson on his debut last Saturday.

Esh were without their regular keeper, Lenny French, for the home game with Dunston, and 16-year-old Robertson was plunged into the deep end.

"Lee did very well. He pulled off a couple of good saves early in the game, and that did his confidence the world of good. His handling was exceptional, and I couldn't fault him."

Fleming signed Robertson from Herrington juniors, and some Football League clubs are keeping an eye on him.

First Division leaders Brandon United are looking for more committee members.

The present committee of six has been stretched to the limit keeping the club going in recent weeks, and they are looking for help from the local community.

Club chairman Neil Scott said: "We're down to the bare bones, and we need some help to run the club from local businesses and the community in order to maintain the club's progress. We also need a commercial manager to help raise funds."

The club is also holding a sportsman's dinner, with former England striker Frank Worthington as the guest speaker, on Saturday, March 1 at the Ramside Hall. Details are available from Mr Scott on 0191 5268536 or from secretary Brian Richardson on 0191 3781373.

Consett manager Colin Carr is hoping last Saturday's draw against Bedlington can be a launch pad to lift his team away from the relegation zone.

Consett kept their good record against the champions when they drew 1-1 at Welfare Park last Saturday, and Carr said: "The whole team dug deep after we had Johnny Brown sent off for his second bookable offence.

"The pity is, that even though we've had four great draws in our last five matches, against Bedlington twice, Brandon and Tow Law, we're still down in the bottom three.

"And while those points are valuable, we've lost ground on a couple of clubs who have picked up wins in that time. If it was two points for a win, it wouldn't be so bad!"

Durham City have agreed to a request from Brandon to bring their league game forward from Saturday, February 1 to the previous night. Brandon want to experiment with Friday night football in an attempt to boost crowd figures at Welfare Park.

Durham have already played on a Friday three times this season, and won every time - against West Auckland, Esh Winning and Newcastle Blue Star.

The Northern League management committee have turned down a request from Evenwood to play their outstanding league cup tie with Ashington and their forthcoming league game as one match. The League cup tie has been postponed on several occasions, the latest last week when the game was postponed less than an hour before kick off because of high winds.

Shotton have been fined £50 by the league after the club was charged with undesirable conduct. Durham FA had previously severely warned them after a club official, manager Mark Watson, had been found guilty of misconduct.

Evenwood Town striker Kevin Shoulder, who was at Bishop Auckland at the start of the season, has been suspended for six weeks and fined £20 after his dismissal for headbutting in a recent game.

The league has decided to take no further action against Seaham Red Star and Evenwood after they were charged with undesirable conduct. Both clubs had previously been warned by Durham FA.

Whitley Bay, the last Northern League team in the FA Vase, have been drawn at home to Oadby Town from Leicestershire in the last 16 of the competition on February 8.

Whitley won at Wootton Blue Cross on Saturday, while four other clubs from Northern League all crashed out.

The full draw is; Brigg v Withdean or Diss, Whitley Bay v Oadby, Gorleston v Bridlington Town, Lowestoft v Maldon, St Blazey v Sudbury, Mossley v Prescot Cables, Burgess Hill v Winchester, Clitheroe v Devizes.

Last Saturday wasn't exactly a day to remember for the teams who went out.

League chairman Mike Amos went with Billingham Town to Gorleston in Norfolk. Town lost 3-1 to the Eastern League side, and Amos said: "It was a very long way to go for nothing."

Northallerton perhaps the most satisfaction from their run, even though they went out in disappointing fashion to Burgess Hill.

Town reached the fourth round for the first time in their history and manager Peter Mulcaster said: "I thought on the day, that as individuals the players could have done better. Maybe our pre-match preparation was wrong.

"But having said that, the players did magnificently to get us to the last 32 of the competition.

"There have been lots of positives, for the club, club officials, the management team and players."

But all five clubs who played on Saturday faced hefty bills. Overnight stays and travel costs are all deducted from the gate receipts, and with costs reaching £1500 in some cases, then gate receipts won't have covered outgoings.

Shildon have released defender Gary Phelps, after the return of former player Lee Collings to Dean Street. Phelps scored his first goal for the club at West Auckland on Boxing Day, but he has lost his place to Collings, who had a brief spell at Durham City.

Prudhoe manager Steve Smith had to put on his boots again when his side played at Peterlee last week in the League Cup.

Prudhoe lost 3-1 after leading 1-0 at half time, but it looks unlikely that Smith, who started his football career as a YTS at Darlington, will be playing again. "It's a year since I've played, and it will be at least another year before I do so again!"

Eppleton manager Wilf Constantine has told his players that every game will be vital between now and the end of the season.

Eppleton lifted themselves off the bottom of the table when they won 3-0 at Hebburn last week, and now Constantine wants more of the same.

"Every game is a cup final to us," he said. "We must aim to win at least half of our games between now and the end of the season.

"There is talk in the club about relegation all the time, which might be interesting to some people, but it's not to us.

"Relegation will be no good to this club if we go down, especially after all the money that he has been spent on new facilities."

Constantine is also wanting to avoid an unwanted hat trick.

"In each of the last two seasons, I've been with a club that's been relegated. I don't want three in a row."

Washington manager John Oliver is aiming for a midtable position after their 5-0 win over Marske United last Saturday.

After being in the relegation zone virtually all season, Washington are now breathing a little easier after four wins in their last five matches, to put them nine points above the relegation zone.

"We're now at the bottom of a group of clubs in the middle of the table. What I want now is for us to start climbing that group, just as we have the group at the bottom of the table.

"The confidence and the spirit is high, probably the best this season, and the place is buzzing."

Ben Chambers scored a hat trick on Saturday, and Oliver said: "Ben was released by Jarrow Roofing last season, and we signed him during the summer. He's done an excellent job for us, and he's improving all the time."

Chambers is one of only four players in the First Division to score four goals in a game this season.

The draw for the semi finals of the Durham Challenge Cup is: Billingham Synthonia v Dunston, Horden v Birtley, Ties to be played in early February.

Dunston's League cup tie against Esh Winning was postponed again in midweek because of a waterlogged pitch, and has now been re-arranged for next Tuesday.

Tow Law are holding a fans' forum in the clubhouse on Thursday, January 30, beginning at 7.30pm, to discuss team affairs and future plans. Manager Graeme Forster and chairman John Flynn will be answering questions.

Leading scorers

First Division

Paul Chow (Jarrow Roofing) 21

Roy Allen (Bedlington/West Auckland ) 19

John Milner (Bedlington) 20

Lee Ellison (Shildon) 14

Carl Chillingsworth (Billingham Town) 14

Ben Chambers (Washington) 13

Andy McKenna (Tow Law) 13

Lee Alexander (Marske) 12

Lee Ludlow (Whitley Bay/Durham) 12

Micky Dunwell (Durham City) 11

Andy Fletcher Bedlington) 11

Chris Taylor (Whitley Bay/Willington) 10

Craig Nelson (Jarrow Roofing) 10

Gary Messer (Esh Winning) 10

Tony Wood (Billingham Synthonia) 10

Michael Carter (West Auckland) 9

Steve Huggins (Brandon) 9

Second Division

Adam Johnston (Washington Nissan) 24

Jamie Clark (Thornaby) 15

Alan Hogg (Ashington) 14

John Wightman (Washington Nissan) 13

James Swordy (Alnwick) 13

Paul Dalton (Crook) 11

David Taylor (Easington/Shildon) 10

Chris Joyce (Hebburn) 10

Michael Hodgson (Penrith) 10

Owen Peterson (Washington Nissan) 9

Martin Houlahan (Evenwood) 9

Gavin Cogden (Washington Nissan) 9

Dean Helens (Murton) 9

Stuart Morris (Seaham) 9

John Harrison (Seaham) 9

Chris Reeve (Thornaby) 9

Micky Haley (South Shields) 9

Andrew Wright (Penrith) 9

Lee Dixon (Horden/Easington) 9

Tomorrow's fixtures

Division One

Billingham Synthonia v Chester-le-Street, Brandon v Billingham Town, Consett v Peterlee, Durham City v Prudhoe, Esh Winning v Jarrow Roofing, Guisborough v West Auckland, Marske United v Dunston, Tow Law v Shildon, Washington v Newcastle Blue Star, Whitley Bay v Bedlington

Division Two

Easington v Crook Town, Evenwood v Shotton, Hebburn v Alnwick, Kennek Ryhope CA v Seaham Red Star, Murton v Willington, Norton v Horden, South Shields v Northallerton, Thornaby v Eppleton, Whickham v Ashington.