After a morale-boosting midweek home victory over Whickham, they failed to build on the momentum with key players either unavailable, injured or suspended. Defender Paul Roddam started as an emergency striker in the absence of the banned Eddie Thomas, Charlie Thompson returned in midfield following duty with his parent club Pickering and Freddie Beasley was recalled at right wing-back.

Jamie Poole’s side are now halfway through their league programme, with six months of the season still to come, and it’s away from home where they face their biggest struggles. They have picked up just four points from 11 matches and didn’t look like improving that record on Saturday’s visit to County Durham.

Crook powered into a three-goal lead in the first half – and it was all too easy for a Black and Ambers side featuring former Ally players Liam Darville and Josh Allen.

Joe Bates was afforded too much time and space in the 15th minute to turn and shoot past ‘keeper Ben Fairless. Centre-forward Connor Shields was allowed the freedom of the penalty area to head in a Corey Nicholson cross for their second seven minutes later.

And no-one was marking Bates when the big striker pounced for his second and Crook’s third goal in first-half stoppage time.

Lewis Martin, who had scored a hat-trick four days previously against his old club Whickham, was forced to feed on scraps and fired an effort narrowly wide after half-an-hour. But the visitors rarely featured as an attacking force and the contest was effectively over by half-time.

Northallerton reorganised by drafting Roddam into defence during the second half and emptying the bench. They looked more solid but by that stage Crook were happy to manage the game and didn’t show much ambition to add to their advantage.

Crook Town: Basey, Niven, Eratt-Thompson, Darville, Hargrave, Allen, Nicholson, Smith, Shields (Brandon 28), Bates, Scothern (Wright 89).

Sub not used: Hutchinson.

Northallerton Town: Fairless, Beasley (Kitching 46), Crooks, Wilson, Harnett (Bramley 46), Drury, Davies (Alderson 66), Boucher, L Martin (Poole 75), Thompson, Roddam.

Att: 243.