Shildon manager Gary Forrest thought his side lacked quality in Coalville’s penalty area as they crashed out of the FA Vase by 2-0 at home to the Midland Alliance leaders on Saturday.

The Railwaymen were hoping to do better than last season’s quarter final achievement, but two goals in the first 20 minutes put paid to those hopes.

“I thought our quality in the final third could have been better,” said Forrest.

“The long spell without a game did us in the first 20 minutes, but after that, we battered them. If we’d been able to pull one back before half time, then we’d have gone on to win, but we couldn’t put the ball in the net. Coalville put plenty of men behind the ball in the second half and played for time, and we found it harder to break them down.”

Shildon never recovered from a bad start. Matt Gardner raced clear and beat Keith Finch after just 4 minutes, and on 20 minutes Shildon lost possession, and Matt Moore broke away to score the second.

Shildon came more into the game after that, but the Coalville keeper Shaun Bowles, denied Andrew Johnson and Sonny Andrews before half time.

Coalville kept it tight in the second half, and Shildon couldn’t create many chances.

Three times winners Whitley Bay rediscovered their top form, thumping AFC Liverpool 7-1 at Hillheads, running rampant in the second half.

Lee Kerr gave them a half time lead from the penalty spot after Paul Chow was fouled, and the floodgates opened when Chow headed home a Gareth Williams free kick. Darren Timmons quickly added another, with Chow chipping the keeper for the fourth.

Liverpool pulled a goal back, and after Bay full back Steve Gibson was sent off for pushing an opponent off the ball, Kerr dispossessed the Liverpool keeper for a simple fifth, Damon Robson cleverly set up Paul Robinson for the sixth, and in the dying seconds Chow completed a deserved hat trick, his fourth goal in the competition this season.

Manager Ian Chandler said: “We hadn’t really produced our best until now. This might be the start of a few good things.” It’s the battle of the Bays in the next round, as Whitley are away to Kent side Herne Bay.

Ashington became the fourth Northern League club in the last 32 alongside Whitley, Norton and Spennymoor with an excellent 2-1 away win at Dunkirk from the Midland Alliance. Marquin Smith put the Nottinghamshire side into the lead a few minutes after half time, but Darren Lough set up Scott Blandford to score the equaliser from the edge of the box.

They got the winner through Phil Bell, who was in the victorious Whitley Bay squad last season at Wembley, when he converted a penalty for a foul on Jonny Godsmark.

Dunston’s home tie against Heather St Johns was postponed for the fourth time, and has now been re-arranged for this Saturday.

The draw for the fourth round now reads: Cadbury Heath v Spennymoor, Herne Bay v Whitley Bay, Norton v Kings Lynn, Long Buckby v Ashington, Gornal or Runcorn v Dunston or Heather St Johns, Westfields or Billingham Synthonia v Tadcaster Albion