Norton manager Andy Campbell says that he is finding difficulty in recruiting players to join their relegation fight after they were easily beaten 6-0 at home by champions Spennymoor on Saturday.

Campbell, who took over at Station Road at the start of the season, said; “It isn’t easy when you’re struggling to get players in, especially as we lost three players on the morning of the game. I don’t have the luxury of a big squad.

“We’re not the first team to lose 6-0 against Spennymoor, and we won’t be the last. Spennymoor are very good. I thought the killer goal was the third just before half time, and our lad shouldn’t have been sent off.”

Moors took control of the game from the start, although Norton held their own until a shot by Lewis Dodds was blocked, and Mark Davison scored from the loose ball. The second was a top quality goal by Keith Graydon when he controlled a free kick from Dan Groves, played a 1-2 with Davison, and volleyed over Jim Provett, all without the ball touching the ground. Davison headed the third in first half stoppage time, and when Micky Rae headed in after Davison hit the bar on 55 minutes, it was a matter of how many.

Norton defender Mark Lilley was sent off for his second bookable offence when he tripped Rae from behind, but it wasn’t until the last few minutes that Moors added further goals. Andrew Stephenson headed the fifth from a Wayne Phillips cross, and then Davison completed his hat trick from close range.

Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley said: “I thought we were exceptional from the first minute to the last. Mark Davison was outstanding, and he has added an extra dimension to our game.”

Darlington are still eight points clear at the top having played three games more, after they came from behind at half time to win 4-1 at Billingham Synthonia.

Read Craig Stoddart’s match report on the Darlington FC section of the Northern Echo website.

Darlington manager Martin Gray said: “I thought Synners had loads of possession in the first half, but we worked out how to deal with their formation in the second half, and we were excellent.”

Billingham Synthonia manager Micky Watson said: “I thought the result flattered them. In the second half we gifted them some bad goals and got punished.”

Bedlington stay third, but 20 points behind Spennymoor, after they beat Penrith 3-1 at Welfare Park.

Terriers took the lead with a strike by Steve Bowey from an Alan O’Brien assist, then Paul Brayson scored his 13th league goal of the season with a diving header from another O’Brien cross.

Rob Bowman pulled one back for Penrith with a good shot, but Phil Bannister made sure near the end.

Whitley Bay recovered from their 4-1 defeat in midweek to beat bottom club Newton Aycliffe 3-1 at Hillheads. Aycliffe were troubled by injuries, with striker Danny Earl and defender John Close taken off in the first half.

Ashley Davis gave Whitley the lead after 12 minutes from a Lee Kerr cross, and James Novak got the second direct from a free kick in first half stoppage time.

Paul Chow scored his 12th league goal of the season to make it 3-0, before Fred Woodhouse pulled a late goal back for Aycliffe, who remain four points adrift of safety.

Newton Aycliffe manager Allan Oliver said: “We started flat, which was a bit of a surprise after our midweek win, but the lads kept going in the second half.”

Whitley Bay manager Ian Chandler said: “It wasn’t our best performance. We played well in spells. But three good points and a few good finishes.”

West Auckland kept their second successive clean sheet by beating Guisborough 2-0 at Darlington Road to stay fifth.

They took the lead after 25 minutes when forwards John Campbell and Mattie Moffat combined well, for Moffat to fire past Guisborough keeper Ben Escritt.

West scored the second when Adam Rundle split the defence for Elliott Gardner to run through and score before half time.

West Auckland manager Peter Dixon said: “I was delighted with the performance, and even more so with another clean sheet.”

Bishop Auckland stumbled by a single goal at home to Hebburn. Bishops were below their best, but still nearly took the lead through Craig Hodgson, who struck the post. Hebburn also strucj the woodworth through Tony Stephenson. The game looked goalless until Stephen Forster made a good run and set up Aaron Croft, who crossed for Paul Gardiner to beat Jake Johnson.

It was Hebburn’s sixth away league win of the season, and the first time this season that Bishops had failed to score in a league game.

Hebburn manager Paul Bennett said: “It was another superb result underpinned by exceptional team work and hard work. The lads gave everything they had.”

Anthony Woodhouse got off to a great start as manager of Newcastle Benfield with a 3-0 away win at Sunderland RCA. Benfield got off to a good start with a 7th minute effort by Gary Ormston, who also scored from the spot after former RCA striker Alex Benjamin was fouled. Stephen Young made it three from a few yards midway through the second half.

Newcastle Benfield manager Anthony Woodhouse said: “We could have scored four or five. But I would have taken a point at the start of the game. The attitude of the players was first class.”

Billingham Town threw away a two goal lead at Consett and lost 3-2, with former Hartlepool striker Michael Mackay leading the fightback.

Town took the lead when Nicky Martin controlled pass from Josh McDonald, and rounded keeper Chris Elliott, and on 25 minutes they went 2-0 up when McDonald scored from a cross by former Consett player Harrison Davies.

Mackay pulled one back when he dribbled through and fired past Danny Molyneux in the Town goal, and levelled on 77 minutes from a pas by Andy Cuthbertson. He got the winner on 84 minutes when he was fouled in the area, and he coolly scored from the spot.

Consett manager Ken Lindoe said: “I wasn’t pleased with the goals conceded, but I was well happy with the character we showed to come back into the game.”

Marske won a crucial three points at New Ferens Park against Durham City, who stay in the bottom four.

Durham had more possession but lacked a cutting edge in front of goal, and Marske snatched the points in the last minute.

Lewis Tidy scored his first goal for the club late in the game with an excellent effort , when he played 1-2s with Chris McGill and Kieran Edwards before firing home from 25 yards.

Durham manager Adam Furness said: “The result was a bitter pill to swallow with their goal coming so late in the game. We’ve got to learn quickly that being the better side isn’t good enough alone to win games. We’ve got to be ruthless in the final third. Overall our play was decent throughout and anyone at the game would say that we were good value for at least a point, but that means nothing now.”

Marske manager Ted Watts said: “I’m pleased we stayed in the game. We changed the formation midway through the second half to get at least a point. A draw would have been a fair result.”

In the second division, Crook’s hard work in clearing the Millfield pitch was rewarded with a 2-0 home win over Stokesley, scoring both their goals in the second half. Chris Pearson’s long range shot struck the bar, but Robbie Bird reacted first to score with a diving header. Kyle Davis got the second when he headed in a cross by Sean Davies. It was also Crook’s first clean sheet of the season.

Crook manager Gary Pearson said: “The pitch was beautiful, it was only wet in a couple of areas. We’re on a roll at the moment. We want some continuity.”

Stokesley assistant manager Chris Lax said: “I was disappointed to lose as I thought we were a match for Crook in the first half and created a couple of decent chances and passed the ball around well. They took their chances and we didn’t, but there are plenty of positives to take from the game.”

Second placed Northallerton drew 2-2 at Whitehaven, although they led 2-1 with 15 minutes left. Stephen Butterworth headed them in front early on, only for Kevin Connelly to equalise. Adam Emson coolly ran through and beat the keeper for his 12th league goal of the season , but Jake Smith levelled for the Cumbrians.

Northallerton manager Mark Fanning said: “I was disappointed not to return with all three points when leading with fifteen minutes to go, but individual errors have cost us today. Still it's a tough place to go and a draw may prove to be a good result in the long term.”

Darlington RA kept their challenge going by beating Whickham 1-0 in a poor game at Brinkburn Road. Whickham had Ross Peareth sent off for a foul before half time, and the RA scored when a clearance by the Whickham keeper fell straight to Louis Whensley, who lobbed the ball back over him from 40 yards.

Whickham manager Robin Falcus said: “I thought we were the better team in a scrappy game. Poor defending before half time has killed us. In the second half we played with ten men after Ross Peareth was sent off, but you wouldn’t have known which team had 10 men, Tough times at the moment, and we need to stick together.”

Darlington RA manager Nick Harrison said: “I think the only real talking point in the game was the goal by Louis.”

Thornaby were within a minute of pulling off the shock of the day against Morpeth, but they conceded a last minute penalty and ended up a in a 3- 3 draw.

Thornaby were 3-1 up at one point, thanks to two goals by Rocky Andrews and an own goal by Gary Mitchell, after Micky Chilton put Morpeth into the lead.

Stephen Anderson pulled a goal back to make it 3-2, then the visitors got a point when Anderson was fouled – although Thornaby claimed that the player dived – and he scored from the spot to extend Morpeth’s unbeaten record to 11 league games.

Thornaby manager Neil Radigan said: “It was a good point with great effort from our lads but still looking to improve the quality in our play and then we’ll be up the league. Although I’m disappointed in the ref giving them a penalty in the dying minutes for what was clearly a dive.”

Seaham Red Star battled back from 3-0 down against bottom club Alnwick to win 4-3. It looked bad for Seaham as they went 3-0 down after half an hour to goals by Daniel Thompson, Tony Brown and Mark Nixon, but they got one back just before half time through Channon North. Dan Olusoga scored twice early in the second half, and with ten minutes left, Alan Pegram got the winner.

Seaham manager Mark Collingwood said: “Woeful defending put us in a difficult position, but fair play to the lads, to come back from three goals down takes a lot of doing. We showed a lot of character.”

North Shields are also steadily moving up the table, and they are now 8th following a good 3-0 away win at Horden. Rob Nolan scored all three for Shields to give him 11 league goals for the season. He scored his first from the penalty spot, his second with a shot on the turn, and his third after half time from a through ball.

Chester-le-Street drew 2-2 with Brandon, who led twice through Mark Bell and Stephen Moody, but in turn Lewis Lynch twice equalised.

Chester-le-Street manager Colin Wake said: “The quality of the game was limited due to a heavy pitch but two honest sides could have been 10 all, but a point is hopefully a start for us.”

There were seven games postponed because of bad weather, which doesn’t bode well considering that the first division clubs are playing 46 games each this season. Games at Celtic Nation, Shildon and South Shields in the first division were postponed, while those at Birtley, Esh Winning, Ryhope CW and Washington in the second division were also postponed.

Whitby are through to the first round proper of the FA Trophy after they beat Ilkeston 4-2 at the Turnbull Ground, coming back from 2-0 down at half time. Steven Snaith, Tom Portas, Graeme Armstrong and Ashley Corker scoring their goals.

In the Evostik League, Blyth had a good 4-2 win over Frickley. Lee Mason, Ryan McGorrigan and Phil Airey (2) scored their goals.