Dan Hawkins scored the first ever hat trick by a Bishop Auckland player as the home side produced an amazing fightback to give them the points against Penrith.

While Hawkins took the goalscoring honours, manager Colin Myers was quick to give Hawkins’ striking partner Andy Johnson equal praise for the way the pair turned the game around from 3-1 down to 5-3 in their favour and keep Bishops seventh in the table.

“The pair of them have hit it off since day one in pre-season training, “ said Myers. “When one of them doesn’t score, then the other does. They both do a tremendous amount of running off the ball, and create space well.

“They complement each other, and they’re going from strength to strength.”

Between them, they have scored 33 goals this season, Johnson scoring 23 and Hawkins 10.

Bishops took the lead after 8 minutes when Johnson scored from an Andy McLane pass, but Penrith quickly levelled through Scott Allison, who chipped Peter Jeffries in the Bishops goal. Allison fired the Cumbrians into the lead just before half time, and Bishops’ improvement at the start of the second half seemed to have ended when Martyn Coleman scored on the break.

But Hawkins reacted first to score from the rebound after Johnson’s penalty was blocked, and the scores were level with ten minutes left when Hawkins headed in Johnson’s cross.

Steve Salvin headed Bishops into the lead a minute later, and the 327 crowd were overjoyed when Hawkins headed the fifth with three minutes left.

Spennymoor’s challenge was strengthened by a 2-1 win over Bedlington at the Brewery Field. Moors took the lead after just 5 minutes when Bobby Moore was pushed in the area as he chased a long ball, and Sonny Andrews scored from the spot.

It was 2-0 on 18 minutes when Keith Graydon crossed well from the left for Leon Ryan to sidefoot in.

Moors couldn’t break through again despite creating some good chances, and they had a couple of anxious moments when defender Lewis Dodds miscued a clearance into his own net from a Steven Stewart cross with six minutes left.

Moors have signed full back Kieron Edwards, who has had a brief spell at Sunderland RCA after starting the season at Billingham Synthonia.

Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley said: “The level of performance was excellent. The players have produced two very good performances in the last two matches.”

Dunston are now top of the table on goal difference with a 3-0 away win at bottom club Stokesley. Dunston striker Andy Bulford, the club’s record goalscorer in all competitions, put them ahead with a header after 12 minutes, then fired his 15th goal of the season on 70 minutes. Former Stokesley player Anthony Hume added the third.

West Auckland are now second but were knocked off the top even though they won 2-1 at Billingham Town.

West couldn’t find a way past brilliant Town keeper Jonathan Grounds, who pulled off several good saves, but he couldn’t prevent Alex Francis scoring from a Jonathan Gibson pass on 71 minutes.

Town levelled four minutes later Nicky Martin was left unmarked to head in, but on 82 minutes Francis made a good run and set up Gibson to score the winner from 12 yards.

West Auckland manager Peter Dixon said: “It was quite a professional performance. Opposing teams will try and frustrate us, and that’s what happened. Their keeper had a blinder.”

Billingham Town manager Carl Jarrett said: “We played a very good West team today but our lads gave their all for the club and results will come our way if we keep working hard. Young Matty Grounds was brilliant in goal and we made West work for their result.”

Whitley Bay bounced back to form with a 4-0 home win over Billingham Synthonia. They were three goals up inside the first 33 minutes. Robbie Dale put them ahead after a mistake in the Synners’ defence on 8 minutes, then Paul Robinson ran through and slotted in the second. Paul Chow scored the third from the rebound after Synners keeper Josh Moody blocked his penalty. Synners couldn’t get back into the game, and they conceded a fourth when Dave Pounder played a 1-2 and beat Moody.

Billingham Synthonia assistant manager Lee Tucker said: “We gave Whitley the momentum by gifting them three first half goals. Even though we competed well in the second half, it was always going to be hard to get back in the game against a side of their quality and experience.”

Whitley Bay manager Ian Chandler said: “That was the best we’ve played this season against a very good Synners team. We totally dominated the whole game, and our keeper only had one save to make in the second half. It was great to watch.”

Sunderland RCA won for the first time in four league games when they won 3-0 at Jarrow Roofing.

They took a hold on the game with two early goals. Mark Davison put them into the lead with a 20 yarder, and when a strike by new signing Alex Benjamin was parried, Adam McGuinness scored from the rebound. The RCA scored the third on 70 minutes when Benjamin chipped the keeper.

Sunderland RCA manager Neil Hixon said: “The two early goals killed the game and put us in control.”

Jarrow Roofing manager Richie McLoughlin said: “We played very well, and it wasn’t a 3-0 game. The young lads did very good.”

Newton Aycliffe won their fourth straight game thanks to a 1-0 win at Guisborough. There were very few chances in the game until the 42nd minute when Elliott Gardner hit the post, and Stuart Owen sidefooted in the rebound.

Luke Bythway forced a good save out of Scott Pocklington from a free kick, and Austin Johnson put a good chance over the bar from twelve yards out.

Newton Aycliffe manager Allan Oliver said: “We dug in when Guisborough had plenty of pressure in the second half. Credit to the lads for their rearguard action.”

Guisborough manager Chris Hardy said: “It was a game of few chances, but we were frustrated at the way the game was officiated. We didn’t do enough to win the game, but I’m disappointed that we didn’t get something out of the game.”

Midtable pair Shildon and Consett drew 2-2 at Dean Street. Wayne Gredziak gave Shildon the lead with a powerful shot into the top corner from an acute angle, but on 13 minutes Dale Burrell fired Consett back into the game, and then David Scorer put them in front from a Burrell corner. Shildon levelled on 70 minutes when Anthony Lund turned a Ben Christensen shot into his own net.

Shildon manager Gary Forrest said: “The first half was quite even but again we conceded two poor goals which knocked our confidence. Second half we dominated and deserved to win the game and should have won it comfortably. We’ve got to cut out the soft goals and be more clinical.”

Consett manager Kenny Lindoe said: “I thought that we edged the first half, and they edged the second half. A draw was probably a fair result.”

Marske United are four points clear of the bottom three after a remarkable end to their game at South Shields.

Marske were 2-0 down by midway through the first half, Chris Feasey and Jonny Wightman scoring for Shields. But Adam Wheatley pulled one back from a free kick, and then Benn Thompson nodded the ball down for Johnny Burton to fire them level before half time.

With just minutes left, Karl Charlton forced the ball in from a Derek Bradley assist to put Marske 3-2 up, but Shields seemed to have earned a point when Andy Barclay headed into the corner of the net. But deep into stoppage time, Anthony Ormerod opened up the Shields defence for Charlton to slip the ball under the keeper.

Marske manager Paul Burton said: “That must be the first time this season that we’ve had a little bit of luck, which I thought we deserved. We played well after we went 2-0 down.”

South Shields manager Jon King said: “We scored three goals at home, but lost 4-3 which tells its own story. We’re good going forward, but our defence was very poor. Had two of our normal back four missing and it showed.”

Ashington were beaten 1-0 at home by Newcastle Benfield, for whom recent signing Tony Burnell scored with his first touch of the ball on 74 minutes. It was Ashington’s first league defeat in nine matches. .