Citizens are improving despite loss, says coach

Durham City assistant manager Stephen Durrant insists that his side are showing signs of improvement – despite falling to another defeat against Jarrow FC.

Second-half goals from Jonathan Hirst and Ryan Noble condemned the Citizens to a 23rd defeat in 26 league games so far this season.

Durrant praised his players for matching the performance of a Jarrow side that are chasing a top-four place in Division Two.

He said: “We held our own for large parts of the game and we were level at half-time.

“It was very similar in the second half, but we let ourselves down from a discipline perspective.

“Jarrow are in their third season under Chris Hutchinson and Dave Bell and we are only eight games into our tenure.

“Given the league positions, there was not much difference between the two sides and that is a positive.”

League leaders Billingham Town fell to their first league defeat of the season after they were beaten at West Allotment Celtic.

Goals from Michael Baxter and Regan Patterson put the hosts in control at halftime, but Luke Hogan halved the deficit six minutes after the restart.

The game swung further in Allotment’s favour when Town duo Brandon Kirkbride and Elliott Beddow were shown red cards in the space of three minutes midway through the second half.

Thornaby closed the gap to the leaders to five points with a comprehensive win at fourth-placed Northallerton Town.

Kurtis Howes, Daniel Chapman, Lewis Murphy and Joe Posthill all found the net as the Teesside outfit claimed a 4-1 win at The Calvert Stadium.

Heaton Stannington’s top-five push continued as Andrew Robertson, Connor Campbell and Thibault Charmey were on target in a 3-0 win at Bedlington Terriers.

A Tony Smith penalty handed Birtley Town all three points in their 1-0 home win against Billingham Synthonia and a Jamie Dunn brace put Ryton & Crawcrook Albion on their way to a 3-1 win against Willington at Kingsley Park.