Managerless Easington fall to Ryton

RYTON & Crawcrook Albion inflicted a 2-0 defeat on managerless Easington Colliery.

Paul Frame resigned as the Colliers’ boss midweek, leaving them in 14th place and with only three wins from their opening 12 games.

Hopes of turning around their season against Ryton were dashed by Harry Mitchell’s double as he scored one in each half.

His first came after 20 minutes when he headed from a corner. And nine minutes from time he made sure of the win by scoring in similar fashion to his first.

Ryton’s win moves them up to 12th, while Easington drop to 16th due to Crawcrook’s win and Brandon United’s 3-1 victory over West Allotment Celtic.

Brandon were without a victory in their last three games but Thomas Gash’s brace helped changed that.

Things didn’t start according to plan in the opening seven minutes as Brandon missed a penalty.

But that failed to disturb the home side, with Jack Pounder and Gash both scoring in the first half.

Pounder steered home a diving header and Gash managed to chip the ball over the Allotment keeper.

Gash rounded the keeper for his second on 65 minutes but Brandon’s clean sheet was breached when Shaun Reay converted a penalty, four minutes from time.

West Allotment’s defeat meant they slipped to third bottom and remain without an away side this season.

Esh Winning are up to eighth with a 3-0 win over an Alnwick Town side, who are without a win in eight games.

First-half goals from Antony Boakes and John Day put Esh in a commanding position.

Only an offside goal by Michael Kent briefly reduced the deficit at two for The Wick as Reece Brown hit a third in the latter stages.

Heaton Stannington stretched their unbeaten league run to six, but will be disappointed they couldn’t hold out for three points against bottomof-the-table Darlington RA.

In the 86th minute, Glenn Donaldson cancelled out Jake Turnbull’s 75th-minute debut goal for the Stan.

The Stan complained about RA’s alleged time wasting, but that didn’t stop the away side from going close to winning it when they hit the bar, a minute after equalising.

MARK CARRUTHERS