Teesside involvement in the FA Vase was ended today as Marske lost 3-2 following extra-time at Consett, but Norton went back to the top of Northern League Division Two and Thornaby and Guisborough hit the Billingham clubs for six.
A storming second half performance proved in vain for Marske as they were beaten in an epic two-hour tussle at Consett.
Consett led 2-0 at half-time thanks to two goals from former Hartlepool United striker Michael Mackay.
But the Seasiders came barging back after the interval with Jamie Owens scoring twice to take his goal tally for the season to 26.
Owens halved the deficit in the 59th minute when he got his head to Josh MacDonald’s cross.
The former Billingham Town striker then had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar before he turned the ball home when Craig Gott’s free-kick was spilled in the last minute of normal time.
Consett snuffed out Marske's comeback once and for all in the 109th minute however as Danny Craggs curled a free kick past Seasiders keeper Robert Dean and into the top corner.
There was still time for late drama at the other end of the pitch when Gott’s 20-yard strike shaved the post.
Norton now have a one-point lead at the Northern League second division summit after Rocky Andrews and Harrison Davies scored in their lively 2-2 draw at Darlington RA.
Andrews thundered home from 30 yards to equalise after RA had gone ahead with a shot which bobbled past Ancients keeper David Knight.
Substitute Davies continued his run to make it 2-1 while the RA defence appealed for offside, but the hosts came back to take a point even though they had their keeper sent off late in the game for throwing punches at Andrews.
Former Boro and Darlington midfielder Curtis Edwards scored a classy hat-trick as Thornaby cruised to their biggest win of the season in battering Billingham Town 6-1 at the Evolution Arena, a win which moves them up to seventh in Division Two.
Thornaby got off the mark after only five minutes with a well-worked team goal.
On-loan Shildon winger Craig Ruddy checked back on his left foot and floated a cross to the far post which Jamie Clarke nodded down for Edwards to tap in.
Edwards doubled the lead just before the half hour mark with a stunning strike from 25 yards, and put Thornaby 3-0 up with three minutes of the second half gone when he scored with a free-kick from outside the box.
Town captain Drew Lambert gave the otherwise outplayed home side a glimmer of hope when he crashed a 64th minute penalty into the roof of the net after Conna Jones went through the back of Connor Lowes.
But it was all Thornaby after that as they scored three goals in the last 10 minutes after Ruddy saw his shot come back off the base of a post.
Substitute Matthew McQueeney made it 4-1 when he fired home after outpacing the Town defence, Ruddy rounded keeper Michael Thackeray to slot the fifth and former Town winger Richie Walker got a late sixth after coming off the bench as he scored a low drive.
Paul Edwards was an understandably happy Thornaby manager after the game and has high hopes for his team for the rest of the season.
He said: "We played some of our best football of the season in the first half.
"We drifted and had a bit of a lull for the first 20 minutes of the second half, but after that we were well on top.
"There were some standout performances from players like Curtis, Ruddy and our keeper Michael Duff.
"It’s a long old season, but I’d like to think we can hit our target of finishing in the top eight to get in the FA Cup next season, and maybe finish in the top six.
"We’re taking it game by game - I know it’s the old cliche - but the mood around the club is good."
Sixth in Division One Guisborough completed a seasonal treble against slumping Billingham Synthonia as they breezed to a 6-0 home win at the KGV Stadium.
The Priorymen had already beat Synners in the Vase last month and in the league last Saturday, but really turned it on this afternoon as they struck three goals in either half to make it a hat-trick of victories against their neighbours.
Goals from former Synners striker Danny Earl, Andrew May and Luke Bythway gave Guisborough a firm grip at the break, and further goals from Peter Bulmer, Leon Carling and Anthony Hume tightened it as they wrapped up a one-sided derby victory.
Stokesley suffered their fifth defeat in a row, going down 2-1 at Northallerton after taking the lead through a Dave Edwards free-kick.
Wearside League Results: Hartlepool 0 Stockton Town 5 (Hannah 3, Johnson, Ward), Easington Colliery 5 Redcar Athletic 2 (Anderson, Woodhouse), Wolviston 1 (Hebb) Horden 3.
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