Result over the performance as Horden go level at the top
sure we get the points to keep pushing forwards.”
Elsewhere in the division on Saturday, Jay Roper’s brace gave Easington Colliery a 2-1 home win against Willington and Sam Johnson’s double put Chester-le-Street United on their way to a 3-0 win against Redcar Town.
Brandon Slater’s late strike helped Blyth Town to a dramatic 3-3 home draw with Birtley Town, and two goals in the final three minutes from Charlie Grieveson and Kurtis Russell helped Ryton and Crawcrook Albion battle back to rescue a point in their 2-2 draw with Newcastle University.
Ashington boosted their hopes of reeling in Division One leaders Newton Aycliffe as Ben Harmison’s late strike gave them all three points in their home game with Guisborough Town.
Fourth placed Whitley Bay took the honours with a 2-0 win against Newcastle Benfield thanks to goals from Mark Davison and Elliott Day, and Jordan Palmer’s late equaliser gave Carlisle City a point in their home game with West Auckland Town after James Ellis had put the visitors in front.
Farrington Detached suffered a disastrous trip to Cumbria as they fell to a 4-1 defeat against Wearside League rivals Windscale.
Gateshead Leam Rangers took over at the top of the table as Curtis Aitken and Carl Taylor netted in their 2-0 home win against fellow title challengers FC Hartlepool, and Shildon Reserves earned a rare three points as a Steven Dawson brace and an Alex Hutchinson strike gave them a 3-1 win at Shotton Colliery.
Elsewhere in the region on a weekend when the weather wiped out many fixtures, Gateshead playermanager Mike Williamson was left ‘delighted’ as his injury-ravaged side sealed a place in the FA Trophy semi-final with a penalty shoot-out win against Farsley Celtic.
With a whole host of key players missing through injury and three recent additions unavailable after featuring for other clubs earlier in the competition, Williamson was forced to name a substitutes bench consisting of two goalkeepers and two academy players.
The Heed’s cause was not helped when former Sunderland and Hartlepool United defender Kenton Richardson hobbled out of the action before the 10-minute mark, leading to a senior debut for young striker Olly Thompson.
Both sides showed plenty of endeavour during the game but failed to create too many opportunities to secure a win over 90 minutes.
Heed keeper James Montgomery came to the fore in the shoot-out as he saved two Farsley spot-kicks to allow on-loan Middlesbrough midfielder Kamal Conteh to fire his side into the last four.
Former Newcastle defender Williamson praised his side for ‘never giving up’ as they battled past a dogged National League North opposition but admitted there were areas for improvement.
He told The Echo: “We like to do it the hard way but overall it’s all about progression in cup competitions.
“There were areas that let us down, the final third wasn’t good enough, and we needed to be more clinical.
“But we kept probing and never giving up and stuck at it.”
Gateshead join National League rivals Barnet, Altrincham and FC Halifax Town in today’s semi-final draw – but Williamson said he is only focused on earning three points in next weekend’s home game with fellow strugglers Torquay.
“For me now, we have huge game coming up and all focus is on that,” he explained.
“The future is the future, we are just desperate for those three points to get us out of the situation we are in and that is our main priority until the next round comes along.”
• New Watford boss Chris Wilder has revealed he was ‘stung’ by his departure from Middlesbrough as he aims to guide the Hornets back to the Premier League.
Wilder left Middlesbrough at the beginning of
October after a disappointing start to the season but was appointed as Slaven Bilic’s replacement earlier this week.
Speaking about his time at the Riverside, Wilder said: “I’ve won games for the majority of my career, wherever that’s been, and I want to win here [at Watford].
"It did sting having my contract terminated at Middlesbrough, but I also understand that the Premier League is where the gold is.
“Clubs want to get there, they need to get there. And financially it makes a huge difference.”