Seaham boss pleased as new-look side seal draw, while Washington are striving for consistency

Red Star made the trip to Cumbria with a number of new signings in their squad, including former Blyth AFC midfielder David Robinson after he joined the club from Newcastle Benfield on Friday.

It was the Bonny Blues that took a first-half lead thanks to spectacular long-range chip from striker Carl Lofthouse.

Chances came and went for Red Star, before they finally got back on level-terms with an injury-time equaliser from defender Anthony Myers.

“You can see that there is something to work with here,” explained McDonald.

“Everyone was up for the game, the new lads did well and settled in quickly and I think, if we are honest, we probably deserved all three points.

“It was frustrating because we missed a number of chances.

“Their goal was a good goal, but we looked pretty solid at the back after a lot of hard work in training.

“David Robinson, Levi Collins, Michael Chilton and David Henderson all look like they’ll add something to the side and Adam Rundle showed his real quality throughout the game.

“We have something to build on now and it’s very important that we do that.”

Red Star face another crucial league fixture next weekend when they host fellow strugglers Whickham at the Ferguson Motor Repairs Stadium.

Ryhope CW put on a brave display before falling to a 3-0 defeat against Stockton Town at The Coverall Stadium.

Ryhope arrived in Teesside on the back of a good run of form but things soon turned against them when they were reduced to ten men midway through the first-half.

Full-back Corey Nicholson was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Chris Stockton, just minutes after Ryhope forward James Ellis had seen a goalbound shot deflected wide.

Ryhope proved difficult to break down for last season’s FA Vase finalists and it was until just after the hour-mark that Mikey Roberts got the first goal of his hat-trick.

The former Whitby Town striker then scored twice in the last ten minutes to give the Anchors a hard-earned win.

The result leaves Ryhope in twelfth place in the Division One table ahead of next Saturday’s home game against Newton Aycliffe.

Consett moved three points clear in Division One as Darren Holden’s first goal for the Steelmen gave them a 1-0 win at Newton Aycliffe.

A Mark Fitzpatrick penalty was all it took for Dunston UTS to take all three points against Guisborough Town at the KGV Stadium.

Two Amar Purewal goals put West Auckland Town on their way to a 2-1 win at North Shields.

Gary Day pulled a goal back for the hosts with 12 minutes left on the clock, but West held on to move within three points of the top three.

Zak Atkinson’s second-half equaliser cancelled out Kieran Brannan’s opener as Ashington came from behind to secure a point in Ashington’s 1-1 draw at Whitley Bay.

Meanwhile in Northern League Division Two, Washington manager Jason Jones wants his side to add consistency to their game after they took all three points from their home game against Ryton & Crawcrook Albion.

A Nick Allen goal on 14 minutes opened the scoring and a second-half strike from Peter Henderson secured the points for the Mechanics.

Jones is hopeful that his side can put together a run of positive results, in the hope that they can secure a top-ten place in the Northern League’s second-tier.

“We have to keep our standards high and that is what we told them at half-time,” explained Jones.

“We started well and should have been two up, but then we slacked off.

“We didn’t grill them at half-time, but we told them that they had to improve.

“We have moved up the league table and it’s so tight around us.

“If results go our way, and we get a win at Brandon United next weekend, we move into the top-ten of the table.

“We must look to go on a run now, but we need to find more consistency.”

Billingham Town continue to top the table after their 1-1 home draw with Heaton Stannington.

A second-half equaliser from Town striker Craig Hutchinson cancelled out Connor Campbell’s early opener for the visitors at Bedford Terrace.

Chester-le-Street Town were left frustrated as they threw away a two-goal lead in their home draw with Willington.

A goal either side of half-time from Cameron Nichol and Scott Robson seemed to have set the Cestrians on their way to three points, but they were pegged back by two goals in the last 20 minutes.

Scott Oldfield halved the deficit and a late Dean Thexton penalty ensured that Willington took an unlikely point.

A goal from captain Jordan Mellish was all that was needed for fourth-placed Jarrow FC to claim all three points at Bedlington Terriers.

Easington Colliery put conceding an early goal behind them as they won at West Allotment Celtic.

Michael Baxter put West ahead inside the opening 60 seconds, but it was the Colliers that took the points at Druid Park thanks to goals from Connor Short and Jack Pounder.

Goals from Nick Marley, Max Stokes, Sam Steele and Dan Kent helped Esh Winning to their best result of the season with a 4-0 win at Birtley Town.

Billingham Synthonia were winners by the same score-line against Brandon United thanks to a Kallum Hannah hat-trick and a goal from Louis Johnson.

Redcar Athletic and Northallerton Town shared the points after a 2-2 draw at Green Lane.

An equaliser from Nicky Martin sent the two sides into half-time on level-terms after Gary Wood had put Redcar ahead on 16 minutes.

Northallerton went ahead for the first time in the game six minutes into the second-half thanks to a goal from Kerry Hedley.

But Redcar secured a point as Adam Preston levelled up the scores on 72 minutes.