Guisborough kept their Northern League title hopes very much alive with a 3-1 home win against Celtic Nation, and Marske remain in the thick of the race after beating Newcastle Benfield by a single-goal margin.
Guisborough remain a point behind leaders West Auckland in second place after two goals from Luke Bythway earned them a somewhat nervy home victory against the hard-working Cumbrian side.
The Priorymen got off to a great start when Bythway scored from close range in the 11th minute.
But the lead was shortlived as Nation’s Jason Blackburn capitalised on a defensive error and flashed in a fantastic 30-yard shot which caught Guisborough keeper Nick Liversedge off his line.
Danny Earl restored the Guisborough lead in first-half added time with a close range overhead kick.
Play swung from end to end after the interval, but Guisborough made their superiority tell in the 65th minute when Bythway bundled the ball over the Celtic goal-line from a couple of yards out.
Guisborough’s arch rivals Marske are fourth in the table with two games in hand on the top two, with Craig Gott’s late penalty proving the difference in their 1-0 home win against Benfield.
The Tynesiders brought a seven-match unbeaten streak to the GER Stadium and a hard-fought encounter could have gone either way before skipper Gott settled the issue from the spot.
Substitute Reece Kelly was brought down for the penalty and the former Darlington man sealed three important points when he sent the keeper the wrong way from 12 yards.
Former Boro striker Andy Campbell’s final game in the Norton dugout before his five-match stadium ban kicks in ended in a 3-1 derby defeat at Stokesley in Northern League Division Two.
Campbell will not be back in the Norton technical area now until their final two games of the campaign at Tow Law and against Billingham Town in the Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup Final at Thornaby on May 4.
And the former Boro and Cardiff man wasn’t happy with his Ancients’ side’s performance at Broughton Road, saying they lacked intensity as they slipped out of the automatic promotion spots to fourth.
Kristian Kamara gave Stokesley a 1-0 lead at the break.
Jack Bradbury then put the hosts two up and although Anthony Hume pulled a scruffy goal back from a corner, midfielder David Edwards sealed the home's side's victory.
Campbell was quick to shoulder the blame however and said: “I picked the wrong side and the players didn’t perform as well as I expected.
“I will take full responsibility if that’s the reason why we don’t go up this season.”
Campbell also gave Stokesley credit, as Nicky Ward’s side also gave Norton fits at Station Road in October before losing 3-2.
“From what I’ve seen of them in the two games we’ve played against them this season, they are definitely in a false position,” he added.
“They were probably better than us for one-and-a-half games.
“Danny Jones was excellent at the back for them today, Kamara won the battle in midfield and the two lads up front caused us problems.”
Thornaby continue to have a solid season and are still seventh after breaking out their shooting boots in a 4-1 win over Darlington RA which included a tidy goal from captain Jamie Clarke and a couple of Nathan Porritt assists.
Danny Lofts gave Thornaby the lead when he tapped in a Porritt cross, only for RA to equalise with an impressive Darren Cokes header.
Clarke restored Thornaby’s lead with a diving header from Curtis Edwards’ curling cross, although RA should have equalised again when James Wilson stabbed wide when it looked easier to score.
The miss proved costly for the visitors as Ged Livingstone fired into the bottom corner from Clarke’s pass for 3-1, and Theo Furness drilled home the fourth on his left foot after being picked out by Porritt.
Last night’s only league game saw Billingham Town fight back from 3-0 down to draw a thriller against Northallerton 4-4 in front of a healthy 209 crowd at the Evolution Arena.
Town were three down inside half an hour as Martin Butterworth struck twice, either side of an Aaron Ramsbottom lob.
Callam Brown’s penalty started the fightback, and he struck again before Dan Wray equalised with a header.
Josh Keogh crashed the ball home through a crowded penalty area following a corner to put Town in front for the first time.
But there was more drama as former Billingham Synthonia striker Tom Atkinson’s header from a corner made it 4-4, and Town had injury time goals from Joel Callender and Wray ruled out for offside.
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