Leaders Birtley Town and second-top Wolviston won 5-0 playing away from home and coincidentally both led by three goals at the halfway stage.

Birtley quickly took the initiative against bottom-of-the-table Jarrow who failed to capitalise on first-half chances. The visitors showed them the way to goal with strikes by Anthony Cosgrove, who found the net twice in the first 11 minutes and Stephen Martin.

Jarrow did not concede another goal until three minutes from time when Gareth Davison and Michael Ford took the total to five.

Wolviston were full value for their victory at Annfield Plain and are just two points adrift of the leaders. David Dowd and Paul Edwards each bagged a brace of goals and the woes of the Plain were compounded when Andrew Steel also struck the target.

Stanley United successfully withstood late pressure from Darlington RA to secure a 2-1 victory at Brinkburn Road. Joncharles Gott and Jason Holmes put the visitors two up by the halfway stage before Ray Jackson threw RA a lifeline.

The home side hit the woodwork three times but Stanley held out with goalkeeper Chris Sayer in good form.

Two goals in an 11-minute spell just before the break earned North Shields the points at home to Ryhope CW. Paul Blakey was the Robins' scoring hero and in the second period, he was close to a hat-trick as the home side had three goal efforts ruled out.

Boldon CA, in third position, suffered a 2-0 defeat at Whitehaven for whom Craig Robson scored twice during the second half and there was also victory for another Cumbrian side, Windscale, who saw off the challenge from Cleadon SC at Jack Clark Park.

The result was settled by an only goal from Paul Collins on 15 minutes and although Cleadon enjoyed as much territorial play as their visitors, they failed to find a way through a well-organised defence.

The game between Harton and Westoe and Barnard Castle Glaxo was postponed because the pitch was waterlogged.

Results: Annfield Plain 0, Wolviston 5; Harton & Westoe P, Barnard Castle Glaxo P; Cleadon SC 0, Windscale 1; Darlington RA 1, Stanley United 2; Jarrow 0, Birtley Town 5; North Shields 2, Ryhope CW 0; Whitehaven 2, Boldon CA 0.