Ashington's five-game losing run ends at Lincoln, then Bradford Park Avenue arrive

For three days, Ashington looked like a team that had found something. On Tuesday 13 October they won 4-1 at Lincoln United, ending a run of five consecutive defeats, with 19-year-old striker Noah Cunningham scoring a hat-trick and setting up Josh Gilchrist for the fourth. By Saturday, the lift had gone: Bradford Park Avenue beat them 4-1 at the Horsfall.

The Lincoln win was the club's second of the campaign and had come after one point from their previous 18, according to the club's match report. Cunningham said the players had been "doing well but just haven't been getting results". Manager Marc Ellison called it "probably the best performance since I came in as manager", but was careful to add that the win "means nothing because we are still where we are", in the relegation zone. Cunningham had missed out against Silsden the previous Saturday, a 2-1 home defeat in which Ellison said the side conceded late for at least the fourth time this season.

Bradford Park Avenue, meanwhile, returned to the top of the division. The club said it was their best start to a season since 1964, and midfielder Jake Thompson scored twice and was named man of the match. Silsden's own weekend ended with a 3-1 defeat at Dunston, who recorded a sixth straight league win.

Elsewhere in the division, Blyth Spartans beat Garforth Town in front of 658 at Croft Park, the club reporting nine wins in a row at home and a place in the play-off positions. Guisborough Town, under interim manager Gary Forster, drew 2-2 with Lincoln United after being two goals down, and Consett lost 2-1 at West Auckland Town in their first NPL visit there. Heaton Stannington and North Ferriby drew 2-2.

Off the pitch, Heaton Stannington announced that Newcastle City Council's £250,000 pledge completes the funding for converting their grass pitch to 3G, though the club says several stages of approval remain. At Hallam, a new committee was elected at the annual meeting, with Andy Emsley as chairman. Ossett United signed Connor Smythe from Stocksbridge Park Steels, who added Fedel Ross-Lang, Harry Wood, Fabian McLaren and Robson Woodcock on loan from Barnsley.