West Auckland scored one of the fastest goals of the season on their way to a 6-2 win at neighbours Bishop Auckland in the Durham Challenge Cup last night.

Adam Nicholls scored after just 10 seconds, when he was allowed to run through and fire into the bottom corner, and that was quickly followed by another early in the second minute when Dan Hindmarch scored from an acute angle. Nicholls made it 3-0 in the 10th minute from 20 yards after he beat two defenders. Andy Johnson pulled a goal back for Bishops on 12 minutes, but Nicholls completed a first half hat trick from a Neil Pattison cross. Mattie Moffat made it 5-1 when he lobbed Peter Jeffries just before half time, and within minutes of the restart, he added another. Dan Hawkins pulled a late goal back for Bishops.

Newton Aycliffe easily beat Chester-le-Street 3-0 to win their first cup tie of any sort this season.

They took the lead with an Elliott Gardner penalty after 9 minutes, and Chester kept them at bay until the 59th minute when Gardner curled the ball home from the edge of the box. Dale Jardine cleverly lobbed the keeper for the third on the hour.

Spennymoor Town defeated last season’s beaten finalists Billingham Synthonia 3-1 at the Brewery Field. Lewis Dodds gave Moors the lead with a deflected shot four minutes before half time, and on 50 minutes Sonny Andrews maintained his excellent form with an angled shot into the roof of the net. Bobby Moore sidefooted a third, before Danny Earl scored a late consolation for Synners.

Shildon scored three times in the last twenty minutes to beat Hartlepool 5-1. Lee Chapman (pen) and Wayne Gredziak put Shildon 2-0 up by the break, and after Lewis Hawkins pulled a goal back on 70 minutes, Nicky Kane (2) and Warren Byrne made sure of victory for Shildon in front of a 140 crowd.

Esh Winning defeated Darlington CB 2-1, with a late winner by Craig Coates. CB had earlier cancelled out a goal by Alex Wilson.

In the league cup, Hebburn thumped West Allotment 6-0, with Dean Nicholson scoring a hat trick.

In the STL Northern League, Anthony Shandran scored with a 40 yarder in Bedlington’s 4-1 home win over Penrith, while in the second division Team Northumbria are now eight points clear after they won 4-2 at Easington.

Durham Challenge Cup first round.

Bishop Auckland 2 (Johnson, Hawkins) West Auckland 6 (Nicholls 3, Hindmarch, Moffat 2), Darlington Cleveland Bridge 1 (Sheridan) Esh Winning 2 (Wilson, Coates), Horden 1 (Summerbell) Crook Town 2 (Proctor, Wallace), Newton Aycliffe 3 (Gardner 2, Jardine ) Chester-le-Street 0, Ryhope CW 5 Washington 2, Shildon 5 (Chapman, Gredziak, Kane, Byrne, og) Hartlepool United 1 (Hawkins), Spennymoor Town 3 (Dodds, Andrews, Moore) Billingham Synthonia 1 (Earl).

Brooks Mileson Northern League Cup second round.

West Allotment 0 Hebburn 6 (D Nicholson 3, S Nicholson, Walker, Stephenson).

STL Northern League Division One.

Bedlington 4 (Shandran, Stewart, Novak, Nugent og) Penrith 1 (Allison).

Division Two.

Easington 2 (Winspear 2) Team Northumbria 4 (Sherlock, Critchlow 2, Redhead).