Race for the title is as close as ever
NBS NORTHERN ALLIANCE LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
NORTH Shields Athletic and Ponteland United are neck and neck again at the top after both sides won their latest matches.
Seven points separate the top six sides with the title race set to go down to the wire.
A penalty midway through the second half from Alex Nisbitt was enough for Ponteland to snatch all three points at home to Killingworth Town.
The former leaders dropped to third as North Shields Athletic came from behind to prevail at Newbiggin.
Dean Muckle gave Newbiggin the lead seven minutes before the interval and they held on until 12 minutes from time when Athletic finally broke through thanks to Scott Jasper.
Three minutes after Jasper’s leveller the title hopefuls led when Dan Barlow scored and, with three minutes remaining, they sealed all three points through a Scott McLaughlin strike.
In the top-six clash at Newcastle University the hosts slipped up when visitors Walker Central triumphed 3-2.
Matthew Haydon afforded Central the lead as early as the sixth minute but when Keith Douglas levelled 15 minutes before the interval fans knew they were in for a tight affair.
Eight minutes after the restart Central regained the advantage through Oliver Walker - only for Nathan Ray to again level for the Uni with 18 minutes left.
That equaliser lasted mere minutes, though, as, in the 75th minute, Michael Baxter would strike what would prove to be the winner for Central to remain within touching distance.
Whitley Bay A shared the spoils at home to Gateshead Rutherford.
A David Boyle penalty for the visitors was cancelled out by Dillon Blake while the mid-table clash at Wallington saw six goals shared with Seaton Delaval.
The hosts, who have been in midtable for most of the season, had Daniel Thompson scoring twice along with goals from Christopher Moffitt and Kyle Reardon while Delaval replied through Paddy Gibbons and Chris Glass.
Shankhouse defeated visiting Northbank 1-0 through an own-goal in the closing stages.