NEWTON Aycliffe kept a firm grip on the Second Division leadership with a comfortable 5-1 win at Hebburn on Saturday but manager Alan Oliver still isn’t talking about promotion.

Aycliffe brushed Hebburn aside with four second-half goals to keep them eight points ahead of second place and 24 ahead of fourth, but Oliver said: “It was a good result considering that Hebburn had won their last five.

But even though we’re clear at the top, we’ve played more games than the others, and I still think it’s going to be very tight.”

Danny Mellanby gave Aycliffe the lead on 25 minutes, then two minutes later Warren Byrne put a spot kick over the bar after a foul on Elliott Gardiner. Hebburn recovered and Dean Nicholson crossed for his brother Stuart to level on 40 minutes.

But in the second half, Aycliffe showed their quality from set pieces. Gardiner headed them back into the lead from a corner, then John Close scored a third. Aycliffe were awarded another penalty for a foul by Geoff Forsyth who was dismissed, and Byrne made no mistake from the spot. Craig Mickle finished off with the fifth.

New signing Adam Emson inspired Stokesley to climb out of the First Division drop zone with a 4-1 win at Penrith.

Emson, signed from Bishop Auckland, only took eight minutes to get off the mark for his new club with a low shot, and then he created the second with a left wing cross for Anthony Hume to head in.

Penrith pulled a goal back through Mike Colman, but Emson had a major part in the third when he was tripped in the area, and Lev Yalcin scored from the spot. Yalcin converted another penalty late in the game.

Champions Spennymoor Town gave one of their best performances of the season to crush Ashington 5-0.

Ashington didn’t have an answer to Moors in the first half. Gavin Cogdon gave them the lead from an acute angle after 20 minutes, and he also scored the second from a Leon Ryan assist. And it was just about over when Cogdon crossed for Craig Ruddy to score into the bottom corner.

A well worked move between Steve Capper and Ruddy gave Steve Richardson his 13th league goal of the season, and then Ruddy opened up the Ashington defence for Adam Johnston to score the fifth.

Consett drew 2-2 with Bedlington, but they were leading 2-0 with ten minutes left, which means that they are now second on goal difference behind Spennymoor.

After a goalless first half, Consett took the lead on the hour when Jonjo Dickman found the bottom corner from the edge of the box, then Gavin Barton outpaced the defence and beat Bedlington keeper Paul Newton for his 14th league goal of the season.

But the Terriers pulled one back with 15 minutes left when Tony Shandran crossed for Alex Benjamin to head in, and after Consett’s Ryan Bell was dismissed for a foul, three minutes into added time Shandran headed home.

West Auckland drew for the first time this season, 1-1 with South Shields at Darlington Road to stay in fifth.

Chris Winn gave Shields the lead from a Craig Armstrong pass, but West equalised through Chris Lunn’s 20 yarder on 48 minutes. West striker Mattie Moffat put a penalty over the bar, before the game exploded with three dismissals.

Shields’ Lee Paul Scroggins went for two yellows, and then Shields keeper Josh Carmichael and West’s Jonathan Gibson were sent off following a clash.

Newcastle Benfield edged closer to the top three by coming from behind to win 2-1 at Norton. After Norton keeper Jim Provett saved an Adam Scope penalty, Conrad Hillerby’s side took the lead after 34 minutes with a 20-yarder by Karl Richards.

Benfield hit back in the second half, and Kevin Leighton levelled with a shot into the top corner, then Scope fired the winner.

Billingham Synthonia gave themselves a boost before their Vase game this Saturday by beating Tow Law 2-1 at Central Avenue.

Chris Burton gave them the lead on 41 minutes when he dispossessed a defender and beat Lawyers keeper Stephen Robinson, and they went 2-0 up when Richie Storr glanced in a Nathan Jameson free kick. Lawyers pulled a goal back with four minutes left through Matty Scott.

Sunderland RCA got the better of Billingham Town by the best of seven. John Toft and James Middleton scored for their respective sides in the opening minutes, then the RCA went 4-1 up through Keith Graydon (2) and Carl Beasley.

Town launched a revival thanks to an own goal by Stephen Jones, and near the end Steve Flockett added another with a powerful strike.

Jarrow Roofing won for the first time in ten matches with a 3-0 win at bottom club Ryton. Roofing took the lead after four minutes when Michael Coghlan fired home from 35 yards, and they went 2-0 up on 38 minutes when Peter Watling’s effort was turned into his own net by Michael Dunford. Roofing gained three points when Watling curled the ball into the top corner.

Esh Winning pulled West Allotment into the relegation zone, winning 2-1, courtesy of a last-minute winner.

Allotment led with a goal by Chris Reid, but Esh won the game with two goals in the last 15 minutes.

Paul Henderson-Reay levelled in a scramble with 15 minutes left, and in the dying seconds Stuart Thompson scored the winner that gave Esh only their fourth win of the season.

In the other Second Division games, second-placed Guisborough also won 5-1, at Seaham Red Star to give them 13 goals in their last three matches.

David Onions gave Guisborough the lead after Michael Roberts’ shot was blocked, and he quickly added a second when he rounded the keeper and scored from a tight angle.

Robbie Bird pulled a goal back for Seaham, but Onions completed his second hattrick of the week with a good shot. Luke Bythway and Shane Henry added further goals within a minute of each other.

Third-placed North Shields also cruised to a comfortable win, 4-0 at Chester-le-Street.

They took a first-half lead through Steve Robinson, and added further goals through Keith Douglas (2) and Andy Bowman.

Darlington RA led 5-1 at home to bottom club Morpeth at half time, but they could only win 6-3. The RA played their best football of the season in the first half, and by half time had scored through Dave Webster (2), player-manager Nick Harrison (2) and Fred Huscroft.

But they took their foot off the pedal in the second half, and only added one more through Webster. Trevor Benjamin was on the scoresheet for Morpeth, with Wyn Fremlyn and Cameron Patrick scoring the others.

Northallerton continued their recent improvement in form, winning 1-0 at Washington.

Craig Winter scored the only goal on 17 minutes from close range, but Northallerton had keeper Alex Kelly to thank for an excellent save right at the end.

Team Northumbria still have slim promotion hopes after beating Crook Town 2-0 with goals by Lee Scott and Dean Critchlow.

Whitehaven are also on the fringe with a 4-2 home win over Horden. Kevin Connolly and Darren Donald scored twice apiece, with Gary Redman replying.

Thornaby dropped to fifth bottom after losing 1-0 at Birtley, for whom Chris Tait scored. Thornaby have received confirmation that they have been given £48,000 by the National Lottery to help with the refurbishment of Teesdale Park.

The games at Bishop Auckland, Dunston, Brandon and Gillford Park were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

* Esh Winning have announced that manager Peter Mulcaster is going to quit at the end of the season.

Mulcaster, who has managed over a dozen Northern League clubs plus Spennymoor in their UniBond days, took over at Esh in October, but has failed to lift them out of the relegation zone.