Guisborough still second in Northern League as Marske slip up at Shildon and Norton suffer shock defeat

Guisboroughremain second in the Northern League after whitewashing Consett 3-0 at the KGV Stadium.

The Priorymen celebrated the opening of their newly refurbished Priory Suite in the clubhouse before kick-off.

And they were able to toast another valuable victory after it as a pair of first-half Luke Bythway goals and James Risbrough’s late third saw them home.

Bythway scored Guisborough’s opener after 17 minutes with a curling finish at the near post from a Dan McWilliams pass.

And he added the second 10 minutes later when Callum Martin found Connor Smith down the right and the former Boro target squared the ball for him to stroke home.

Consett pressed hard after the interval in a bid to reduce the gap, but the Guisborough defence held firm.

Guisborough mounted several dangerous attacks of their own down the right wing and Bythway came close on three occasions as the hosts finished strongly.

And they made the game and the points safe in the 89th minute as Risbrough drilled the ball low and hard past Consett keeper Chris Elliott at the end of a move involving substitute Nathan Mulligan and Bythway.

Marske are still third in the table despite losing 2-1 at Shildon to a last minute Lee Scroggins penalty.

Shildon took the lead in a tight first half of few chances through Billy Greulich-Smith’s header, before Marske levelled in a scramble from a corner where it was unclear who got the final touch.

The game opened up after the break with skipper Craig Gott going close for the Seasiders, and visiting keeper Robert Dean had to make several saves.

But Dean was unable to prevent Scroggins from scoring a last-gasp winner from the spot after a handball given against Adam Wheatley.

Both sets of players were involved in a free-for-all in stoppage time after some pushing and shoving, but no cards were shown.

Relegation battlers Billingham Synthonia enjoyed their Valentine’s Day football with Michael Sweet influential once again as they won 3-0 at Whitley Bay to move up a spot to 18th.

Synners produced a superb first half but did all of their scoring after the break as Tommy Marron struck twice and Sweet added his 12th goal in four games in stoppage time.

Marron struck the opener following spadework from Kris Hughes, and the former Guisborough captain poked in his and Synners’ second from virtually on the goal-line after a couple of shots were blocked.

Sweet had the final say when he scored from a Ross Gardner pass as Synners made it five wins in their last six games.

Norton slipped a place from second to third in Division Two following an unexpected 4-3 defeat at struggling Alnwick, who won for the first time since December.

The Ancients looked on course for a routine victory as they led 3-1 at half-time following Nicky Martin’s opening goal and a rare double from defensive midfielder John Seaton.

But things went pear-shaped after the break as they began to pick up cards galore and Seaton was sent off as Alnwick completed an unlikely comeback.

Washington leapfrogged Norton to go second with a 2-0 home win against Stokesley.

Billingham Town took the lingering sense of injustice they felt from last week’s abandoned game at Whickham out on Birtley as they powered to a 3-1 home win at Bedford Terrace.

Following an opening 22 minutes which had largely belonged to Town, Danny Wray gave Darren Trotter’s side the lead with a driven shot following a corner.

Gary Redman doubled Town’s cushion two minutes later, and big centre-back Ian Bishop headed the third from Callam Brown’s free-kick before Birtley pulled one back.