Alan Shoulder has returned to Northern League management at Willington.

The former Newcastle striker's last job in the Northern League was at Crook, before he left for Blyth and then Bishop Auckland in the UniBond League.

Even though he kept Bishops out of the relegation zone last season, they were still forcibly relegated at the end of the season into the UniBond First Division.

He quit Bishops in October, and now takes over a side which is third bottom of the Northern League Second Division, just a few weeks after they were humiliated in a 13-0 thrashing at Washington Nissan.

Richard Huntley, the previous manager, has left the club after just a month in charge.

Northallerton are looking forward to one of the biggest days in their history when Shirebrook visit in the third round of the FA Vase tomorrow.

Northallerton are the only club from Second Division left in the competition and on a club level have never reached this stage of the competition before.

And their achievement has stirred cup tie fever in the town, similar to when they had a run to the last 32 of the FA Trophy a decade ago.

Manager Peter Mulcaster said: "It means a lot to everybody at the club - the management, players, fans and officials.

"Ever since the draw was made, we've been looking forward to the game, The town is buzzing."

Ironically, this is the first home tie Northallerton have had in the competition so far. They have already won four times on the road - at New Mills, Kennek Ryhope, Garforth and Pontefract - and they were even hoping for another away draw before they were pulled out of the hat.

But Mulcaster doesn't mind a tie against a club which is at the same level as them. Shirebrook play their football in the Northern Counties East League First Division, and Mulcaster said: "If we play as well as we have been in the Vase this season, then we can go through."

Guisborough Town manager Steve Corden missed his side's 1-1 draw with Newcastle Blue Star last Saturday to spy on FA Vase opponents Mossley. "There's a few ex-pros in their team, but if we play well, then we've got a chance."

Mossley played Durham City last season and led 2-0 late in the game, before Durham hit back with three goals.

Morpeth, who pulled off a surprise by beating Brandon in the last round of the Vase, could be facing former Aston Villa, Rangers and Liverpool winger Mark Walters when Willenhall travel northwards tomorrow.

Walters was released by Bristol Rovers at the end of last season, and after failing to fix himself up with a Football League club, decided to join a club close to his home in the midlands.

Horden manager Tommy Garside has warned his team there are no easy matches at home.

Horden's 5-1 win at Willington last week lifted them into fifth place in the Second Division, with games in hand on all the clubs above them apart from Penrith.

"We're finding that teams are coming to Horden, and are very defensive. That makes life difficult for us. One team played here and had a man sent off, and didn't come out of their half much at all afterwards.

"We will have to grind out results. We must be clever by trying to get round the back of the opposing defence."

Recent signing Lee Dixon from Easington scored his first goal for the club at Willington last week. Horden also maintained their record of having scored in every game except one this season.

Evenwood manager Ken Houlahan gave two new signings their debuts last week at Kennek Ryhope - and both of them scored.

Houlahan signed former Bishop Auckland striker Kevin Shoulder and John-Paul Collinson from Bishop Auckland Ruby Club, and both came up trumps as they scored a goal apiece in the 4-3 win.

The victory put Evenwood into eighth place in the table, just five points away from the promotion spots.

"The win put a few teams within our reach," said Houlahan. "We've now got 26 points - just three less than last season.

"The players are working very hard, and gaining their rewards."

Whitley Bay manager Andy Gowens has denied there's a crisis at the club.

Whitley's anticipated title challenge has failed to materialise, and instead they are in the bottom half of the table. But their cup form is different, and they have progressed in the Vase, League Cup and Northumberland Senior Cup.

And tomorrow, they face a tricky away tie at Dunston in one of the ties of the round in the Vase, although they have already won there 2-1 in the league this season.

Gowens said: "There's no crisis yet, but it's up to the players to put things right.

"The next few weeks will be make or break for some of them.

"We haven't been consistent enough this season. We've been on top in games, and then we've suddenly given stupid goals away.

"We haven't had the rub of the green, but you sometimes find that happens when you're playing well.

"Because we won the Vase last season, we're there to be fired at. And in some matches, some players might have crumbled

"But they're learning all the time, and I'm sure that we'll make it over the next few weeks."

Prudhoe manager Steve Smith is hoping to pull off another new signing before the weekend.

Smith, who is battling against relegation, is tight lipped about the identity of the player, but is understood that he could be a striker.

He has already signed Chris Creamer from Peterlee in the last fortnight, and Smith said: "We're still taking terms, but we're hoping to have something sorted out by Saturday."

However, Smith has suffered a blow with the news that another striker, Gary McDonald, has dislocated his shoulder and will be out of action for around a month.

Evenwood's League cup tie with Ashington was postponed on Tuesday night, and could be re-arranged before Christmas. Peterlee's home tie with Prudhoe also met the same fate on Wednesday night.

At least one Second Division club is guaranteed a place in the semi finals of the Albany Durham Challenge Cup after the draw was made on BBC Radio Cleveland on Saturday. There will also be one Wearside League club in the semi final.

Draw: Dunston v Spennymoor, Birtley v Wolviston, Horden v Murton, Billingham Synthonia v Gateshead. Ties to be played in January.

The updated draw for the second round of the Northern League Cup, to be played in January, is: Peterlee or Prudhoe v Seaham Red Star , Tow Law v Penrith, Billingham Synthonia v Consett, Dunston or Esh Winning v Bedlington, Marske v Newcastle Blue Star, Brandon v Horden, Morpeth v Evenwood or Ashington, Shildon v Whitley Bay.

Tomorrow's fixtures

FA Vase: Dunston v Whitley Bay, Durham City v Gedling, Grosvenor Park v Billingham Town, Guisborough v Mossley, Morpeth v Willenhall, Northallerton v Shirebrook.

Division One: Billingham Synthonia v Consett, Brandon v Peterlee, Chester-le-Street v Esh Winning, Jarrow Roofing v Bedlington, Prudhoe v Washington, Tow Law v Newcastle Blue Star, West Auckland v Marske.

Division Two: Alnwick v Crook Town, Eppleton v Willington, Evenwood v Washington Nissan, Horden v Hebburn, Murton v South Shields, Norton v Ashington, Shotton v Kennek Ryhope CA, Thornaby v Penrith, Whickham v Seaham Red Star.

Scoring feats

Four timers: First Division: John Milner (Bedlington v Morpeth 26th August) Paul Chow (Jarrow Roofing v Washington 26th August), Lee Ellison (Shildon v Washington 26th October), Ben Chambers (Washington v Chester-le-Street 9th November)

Second Division: David Stephenson (South Shields v Willington 9th November)

Hat-tricks: First Division: John Milner (Bedlington v Marske 19th October) Craig Nelson (Jarrow Roofing v Peterlee 20th August) Mark Rutter (Shildon v Whitley Bay 14th September),.Lee Ellison (Shildon v Jarrow Roofing 5th October) Gary Barnes (Shildon v Peterlee 12th October), Andy McKenna (Tow Law v Blue Star 17th August), Andy McKenna (Tow Law v Esh Winning 26th August), Andy McKenna (Tow Law v Prudhoe 12th October), Andrew Shaw (West Auckland v Billingham Town 20th August) Michael Carter (West Auckland v Prudhoe 19th October), Phil McGuire (West Auckland v Prudhoe 19th October) Roy Allen (West Auckland v Morpeth 26th October) Steve Cuggy (Chester-le-Street v Newcastle Blue Star 16th November), Carl Chillingsworth (Billingham Town v Whitley Bay 2nd November)

Second Division: Paul Dalton (Crook v Shotton 2nd November) Tony Hanson (Easington v Shotton 26th October), Chris Joyce (Hebburn v Willington 28th September), Anthony Holmes (Kennek Ryhope CA v Crook 19th October) Adrian Winder (Murton v Eppleton 26th August) , Adam Johnston (Washington Nissan v Whickham 19th October), Adam Johnston (Washington Nissan v Willington 23rd November) Owen Peterson (Washington Nissan v Willington 23rd November) Tommy Scott (Whickham v Murton 24th September), Chris Taylor (Willington v Shotton 24th August)

Leading scorers

First Division (league only): Paul Chow (Jarrow Roofing) 16, Roy Allen (Bedlington, 15 for West Auckland ) 16, John Milner (Bedlington) 16, Andy McKenna (Tow Law) 13, Lee Ellison (Shildon) 12, Lee Ludlow (Whitley Bay, 1 for Durham) 11, Carl Chillingsworth (Billingham Town) 11, Lee Alexander (Marske ) 11, Craig Nelson (Jarrow Roofing) 10, Andy Fletcher (Bedlington) 10, Micky Dunwell (Durham City) 9, Gary Messer (Esh Winning) 9, Steve Huggins (Brandon) 8, Tony Wood (Billingham Synthonia) 8, Steve Burns (Esh Winning) 7, Colin McLeod (Consett) 7, Ben Chambers (Washington) 7.

Second Division: Adam Johnston (Washington Nissan) 20 , John Wightman (Washington Nissan) 12 , David Taylor (Easington, 3 for Shildon) 10 , Chris Taylor (Willington) 9,Jamie Clark (Thornaby) 9, David Hague (South Shields) 8, Tony Hanson (Easington) 8, Paul Dalton (Crook) 8, Chris Joyce (Hebburn ) 8, Dean Helens (Murton) 8, David Onions (Northallerton) 8, Tommy Scott (Whickham) 8, Lee Dixon (Horden, 7 for Easington) 8, Willie Paul (Penrith) 7, James Swordy (Alnwick) 7, Adrian Winder (Murton) 7, Mattie Lea (Penrith) 7, David Christie (Kennek Ryhope CA) 7, Anthony Holmes (Kennek Ryhope CA) 7.