DARLINGTON RA surprised promotion-chasing Whickham with their first win at the Glebe and assistant manager Jamie Smith said: “It felt like winning a cup final.”

The RA won 5-3 and are now seventh in the table – their highest position for three seasons – and have taken four points from top six clubs Marske and Whickham.

“The team pulled together really well, and our fantastic team spirit got us through,”

said Smith, who suffered a broken nose during the game.

“When Nick Harrison and I took over, if we were told that we would win at Whickham, we wouldn’t have believed them. I’ve played for the RA for several years and can’t remember winning there.”

Fred Huscroft, with his tenth of the season, gave the RA the lead from a Paul Freary pass, but Sam McIntosh levelled.

Skipper Dave Elgie restored the RA’s lead with a 25-yarder, but straight after half-time Whickham hit back with goals by Scott Robson and Scott Swanston.

But the RA fought back, and levelled with a left-foot strike by Freary. Manager Harrison scored from a setpiece, and sub Mike Colman cracked in the fifth.

Bishop Auckland are still looking for their first win at their new stadium as their defending let them down in a 4-0 defeat by Norton.

Jamie Clarke fired Norton into the lead from the edge of the box after 14 minutes, and Craig Bishop tapped in the second.

Norton sub Nathan Mulligan took advantage of some poor defending to score the third on 75 minutes, and with a few minutes left Craig Gott tapped in the fourth. Bishops’ miserable afternoon was completed when former Hartlepool keeper Jim Provett saved a Steven Turnbull penalty.

Third-bottom Stokesley held on with nine men to draw 1-1 at home with Sunderland RCA. They took the lead when Stephen Morrison scored from a through ball, but had to regroup when striker Glen Robson was dismissed after 68 minutes.

Richard Logan levelled for the RCA with a long-range shot with six minutes left, and Stokesley had to survive without Morrison for the dying minutes after he was also dismissed.

Sixth-bottom Billingham Synthonia maintained their recent improvement with a 1-1 draw at third-placed Newcastle Benfield, although they left it late.

Benfield striker John Campbell gave his side the lead with a 25-yarder after 14 minutes – his 24th of the season – but hard-working Synners equalised with a couple of minutes left direct from a Nathan Jameson free kick.

League leaders Consett stayed five points clear with a 2-0 win at a blustery Billingham Town.

Consett looked sluggish in the first half against a determined Town side, who nearly took the lead with a Micky Dunwell effort.

But the leaders went ahead after 61 minutes with a 25- yarder from Scott Martindale.

Sub Mark Patterson split the defence for Anthony Lund to score the second.

Second-placed Spennymoor overcame the elements to win 2-0 at bottom of the table Ryton. Moors scored their first goal with a Steve Capper penalty after Lewis Dodds was brought down following a 70-yard run, and Gavin Cogdon scored the second from a Kallum Griffiths pass.

The wind got stronger in the second half, but Moors still missed some good chances. Ryton have now lost 20 league games on the trot.

Shildon missed a chance to go third after drawing 1-1 with Bedlington at Dean Street.

Darren Hollingsworth hit the bar for Shildon in an even first half, but Bedlington took the lead when Alex Benjamin headed in from a yard out.

Shildon levelled when Chris Hughes burst through and scored with a left-foot shot.

Whitley Bay are fifth after beating Penrith at Hillheads, with Craig MacFarlane firing the only goal of the game against the wind. Penrith missed an easy chance for a late equaliser.

West Auckland won 4-1 at Jarrow Roofing. They took the lead after 25 minutes when Andrew Green scored from a Dan Hindmarch pass, and ten minutes later Mark Stephenson headed in a Martin Young corner.

Ian Maddison headed into his own net to let Roofing back into the game, but on the hour Jonathan Gibson set up Mattie Moffat for the third.

Within three minutes, Hindmarch beat two men and lobbed the keeper for the fourth.

Tow Law’s return to action after the enforced break saw them lose 6-2 at Ashington, and they also had player-manager Ian Davison sent off.

Andy Johnson put Ashington 1-0 up in a scramble, and Iain Nickalls was left unmarked to head in a corner for the second.

Mark O’Dea hit a 25-yarder for the third, but then new signing Andy Thompson pulled one back for Lawyers before half-time.

Davison was dismissed for a professional foul just after half-time, and Ashington took advantage with a Johnson header. Johnson completed his hat-trick from the spot, and after Thompson pulled a goal back, Damon Mullen finished Lawyers off.

South Shields’ home game with Esh Winning had to be abandoned on the hour mark because of floodlight failure, with Shields leading 1-0.

In the second division, Marske United were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Horden.

Danny Brunskill scored his 17th league goal of the season from a Lee Donaghie pass to put Marske into the lead, but Horden levelled through Gilberto Chapim.

Team Northumbria are also in the promotion hunt after a 3-1 win at Thornaby. The Teessiders took the lead with a strike by Alex Marshall, but Graeme Cairns equalised.

Thornaby had strong penalty claims turned down before Graham Carrick, brother of Manchester United’s Michael, cracked in a 25-yarder to put TN into the lead. Lee Scott scored a late third.

Crook have slipped out of the promotion race after losing 3-2 at home to Hebburn.

Stuart Nicholson scored twice in the first half hour to put Hebburn 2-0 up, but Andy Appleby pulled a goal back at the start of the second half.

He also hit a post before David Dormand made it 3-1 to Hebburn.

Darren Kokes scored a late consolation for Crook.

Chester-le-Street lost 4-2 at home to Whitehaven after being 2-0 up at half-time.

Chester led with goals by Nick Kane and Ben Johnson, but in the second half their defending let them down. Darren Donald, Kevin Connelly, Malcolm Holliday and Craig Robson scored for Whitehaven.

Brandon, without a home win all season, recorded their third away victory of the campaign by beating Birtley 3-1.

They scored twice in the space of four minutes through Ian Pritchard and a penalty by Ben Harris, and after Scott McAvoy pulled a goal back after 75 minutes, Brandon’s Steve Fothergill marked his return to the club with a goal in the last minute.

The games at Gillford Park, Morpeth and North Shields were all postponed because of waterlogged pitches.

The draw for the semi-finals of the Durham Challenge Cup is: Dunston v Spennymoor, Gateshead v Norton. Ties are to be played in early March.