STL Northern League

Esh, who only have five points from 16 games this season, looked good for a point at 1-1 until they were cruelly denied at the death, leaving them six points adrift of safety.

Esh gave Moors a scare early on but Liam Clough put a penalty high over the bar.

Moors recovered and took the lead through Craig Ruddy with a low shot into the bottom corner. Esh keeper Andrew Spence made two good saves before Stuart Thompson took advantage of some indecision in the Moors defence and fired home.

Esh looked as if they were holding on for a point, until stoppage time when Stephen Harrison crossed for Gavin Cogdon to sidefoot in, and then Stephen Richardson pounced on a mistake to score the third.

Consett made it ten home wins out of ten in the league with a 3-1 victory against Whitley Bay.

Gavin Ross outpaced the Whitley defence and set up Lewis Teasdale for an early goal, but Glen Taylor levelled for Whitley with a header.

Ross restored Consett’s lead midway through the second half, and Teasdale got the third with a low shot.

West Auckland are still on the heels of the leading group with a 2-0 home win over Tow Law, who are now in the bottom half of the table.

They took the lead on 31 minutes through John Parker.

Tow Law were finally beaten in the last minute when Adam Nicholls was brought down, and Mattie Moffat fired the penalty in off the post.

What could be Billingham Town’s last game at Bedford Terrace – depending on their court case with Hartlepool United this week – saw them lose 4-2 at home to Dunston.

The visitors cruised into a four-goal lead. Micky Dixon pounced on a defensive mistake to put them in front after 25 minutes, and then Steve Preen made it 2-0 from the edge of the area shortly after.

Just before the break it was 3-0 with a left foot strike by Fergal Harkin. Preen made it 4-0 with a diving header early in the second half, and Town launched a mini revival with goals by Marcus Laing and Andy Jennings.

Bedlington have now lost two in a row and dropped into fifth after they were surprisingly beaten 2-1 at home by West Allotment, who have now climbed out of the bottom three.

Stokesley have replaced West Allotment in the bottom three after they lost 2-1 at home to Shildon, their tenth successive league game without a win.

The Railwaymen took the lead in the first half when former Stokesley player Sonny Andrew set up Andy Johnson to score from a right wing cross, then Danny Richmond opened up the Stokesley defence for Johnson to slot in the second.

Shildon missed some good chances to increase their lead before Stokesley scored a late consolation through a James Allsop free kick.

After winning 5-0 at Shildon in midweek, Bishop Auckland came back down to earth with a 4-0 away defeat at Ashington.

The Colliers gained the advantage with a volley by Stephen Young, his ninth league goal of the season after 21 minutes, then three minutes later David Colvin scored the second from 25 yards. Phil Bell got the third from a rebound at the start of the second half, with Jonny Godsmark firing the fourth near the end.

Newcastle Benfield striker John Campbell is on his way to League One side Swindon this week for a trial after scoring twice in their comfortable 6-0 home win over bottom club Ryton, to take his league tally for the season to 18.

Penrith won their first home game of the season against a wretched Billingham Synthonia 6-1.

Sunderland RCA thought that they were on for a good point at Norton, until the home side grabbed all three points in the last minute.

Danny Earl missed a couple of good chances for Norton in the first half, but in the second half Norton keeper Jim Provett made two good saves from Richard Logan. Craig Bishop got the winner in the last minute with a glancing header.

South Shields won their local derby by 5-2 against Jarrow Roofing.

The visitors took a first minute lead through Craig Nelson, but David Graham levelled from a free kick, and Tony Coe headed them into the lead.

However, Roofing levelled before the 10th minute mark through Peter Watling. Chris Winn made it 3-2 just on half time. In the second half, Stephen Ramsey headed in a free kick, and Lee Paul Scroggins scored from a right wing cross.

In the second division, Guisborough cut Newton Aycliffe’s overnight lead from four points to one, with a solitary goal win over Thornaby at the King George, quite a contrast to their EA Cup match earlier in the season, when 14 goals were scored.

Both clubs observed a minute’s silence before the game in memory of Thornaby secretary Peter Morris, who died last week.

Thornaby looked as if they would hold on to a good point until Lee Bythway scored with a 30-yarder just a few minutes from the end.

Marske’s new signing Karl Charlton inspired them to a 3- 1 home win over Birtley at Mount Pleasant.

Birtley shocked Marske by taking the lead through Stuart Nicholson, but Marske levelled when Anthony Ormerod set up Benn Thompson to score with a left foot shot. Charlton then curled a superb free kick over the wall to put Marske into the lead, and then he showed good awareness to set up Owen Dixon for the third.

Crook have now failed to win any of their last three league games after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Gillford Park. Martin O’Riordan gave them an early lead, but Michael Reed equalised for the Cumbrians.

North Shields edged closer to the top three with an important win over fellow promotion chasers Whickham.

Chester-le-Street jumped three places into seventh after winning 5-2 away to bottom club Morpeth. They went an early goal down to Wyn Fremlin, but Gary Shields quickly equalised. Chester took full control in the second half, and scored through Liam McBryde (2), Robbie Draper and Shields, before Matthew Wade pulled a late goal back.

Third bottom Northallerton stunned promotion chasing Whitehaven by beating them 5-3 at Ainderby Road, only their second league win of the season.

Kevin Connelly gave the Cumbrians an early lead, but Northallerton hit back with goals by Stuart Hardy, Darren Mowbray and Neil Tarrant.

Whitehaven got one back through Steven Shaw, but Northallerton scored the fourth through Wayne Hall.

Connelly pulled a goal back, before Mowbray, brother of Tony, made sure of the points.

Horden also had a good win, by 2-1 away to Team Northumbria.

TN took a half time lead through Graeme Carrick, but Horden hit back with an equaliser by Jack Honour, and with five minutes left the keeper spilled a free kick by Ash Corker, and Martin Langley tapped in to give Horden their third straight win.

Seaham Red Star beat Washington 3-1. The visitors took the lead with an early goal by Craig Coates, but then a Washington defender headed the ball into his own net for the equaliser. Washington piled on the pressure in the second half, but Seaham caught them twice on the break with strikes by Lewis Turnbull and Anthony Watson.

At the bottom, Brandon were within seconds of only their second win of the season against Hebburn, but were denied by a late equaliser. Danny Corbett fired Brandon into the lead after 78 minutes, but Hebburn scored in the dying seconds through Michael Armstrong to end a run of three defeats.