FA Vase: Brandon are hoping their 4-3 win over Bottesford in the first qualifying round of the FA Vase will provide a lift.

Brandon have yet to win a league game this season but they held on to victory in a frantic finish.

Manager Alan Shoulder, who went on as a second half substitute, said: "Hopefully, this will give everybody a big boost. We've been improving game by game over the last couple of weeks but ironically I don't think we played as well as we did against Dunston in midweek.

"We struggled in the first half, but the lads still did well considering that they had to hang on near the end."

Bottesford, from the Northern Counties East League, took the lead through Jamie Leech but it was Kevin Shoulder, nephew of Alan, who put Brandon back into the game.

He equalised from an Anthony Ebdon cross but Leech again put Bottesford back into the lead. But Brandon moved up a gear and took control. Shoulder put them ahead with a low shot following a good run and Ebdon made it 3-2 when he beat two men and curled the ball into the top corner. Andrew Richardson got the fourth.

Bottesford pulled one back with three minutes left through Mark Elston which caused some anxiety.

Durham City, with new manager Andy Gowens in charge, beat Eccleshill 1-0 at the Archibalds Stadium thanks to a 53th minute Danny Brunskill goal.

Another new manager, Tow Law's Graeme Clark, saw his side lose 2-1 at home to Trafford after being in the lead at half time.

Nicky Martin gave Lawyers the lead on 16 minutes but Trafford, from the North West Counties League, hit back to score twice in ten second half minutes through Phil Carratt and Glynn Barker.

Former Sunderland striker Craig Russell scored his first goal for Newcastle Blue Star in their 3-0 win at Yorkshire Amateurs. Russell scored in the first half while recent signing Dave Southern scored twice after the interval.

In the all-Northern League ties, Crook came from behind to win 2-1 at Ryton.

The home side took the lead through Carl Piecha with a header from a corner but Roy Allen levelled for Crook with an effort from the edge of the box. Former Darlington striker Danny Mellanby, on his return from injury, scored the winner on the hour.

Sunderland Nissan won at Northallerton whose defender Stuart Jackson headed into his own net from just inside the box for the only goal of the game.

Morpeth did well, winning 5-3 at Hall Road Rangers, Wayne Edgcumbe scoring a hat-trick for the visitors.

Newcastle Benfield also won on their travels, winning 1-0 at Curzon Ashton thanks to an early goal from Anthony Errington.

Horden had a bad day, beaten 3-2 at home by Bacup Borough. Horden were three goals down by the half hour mark and only got into the game in the second half. Martin O'Riordan pulled one back then Jason Ainsley scored another on but they couldn't force an equaliser.

Chester-le-Street had a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Glasshoughton, conceding the goals inside the first ten minutes while Esh Winning were beaten by an extra time goal at home to Flixton.

North Shields were comfortably beaten 4-1 at home by Cammell Laird, Andy Matthews scoring their goal near the end while Northern Alliance Easington were thumped 6-0 at home by Armthorpe. Peterlee were beaten 6-2 at home by Retford, and Guisborough lost 3-1 at Winterton.