They suffered one of the heaviest defeats in their history on a soggy afternoon at Heritage Park. But they don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves.

Town are the first club out of 993 at Step 1 to 6 to have played more than half of their league games and with fellow strugglers Newcastle Benfield due at the Calvert Stadium on Saturday, the battle to avoid relegation now comes into sharp focus.

They have to improve during a relatively light fixture schedule over the next five months to preserve their Ebac Northern League Division One status.

Wednesday’s trip to Guisborough in the North Riding Senior Cup is much less of a priority and it will be interesting to see if manager Jamie Poole chooses to rotate resources with the Benfield game in mind. But with injuries to key players, it will not be easy.

The rout started in the 11th minute when Vinnie Steels put Bishops ahead. Gary Martin then proceeded to grab a first-half hat-trick – and it was probably one of the easiest he will ever score amid a flurry of defensive mistakes.

Bailey Adamson piled on the agony with a fifth before half-time, and the second period became a damage limitation exercise for Northallerton. Adamson netted his second and Liam Noble also got on the scoresheet after the break to complete the visitors’ misery.

Town threatened spasmodically, James Boucher coming closest in the 28th minute with a long-range drive that went just over the bar.

Bishop Auckland: Bland, Burlace (Purewal 45), Robertson, Noble, Potter (Unuareokpa 63), Brown, Loveday, Peterson, Adamson, G Martin, Steels.

Subs not used: Neale, Jarvie.

Northallerton Town: Fairless, Harnett, Drury, Wilson (Alderson 52), Poole (Bramley 46), Kitching, McNamara, Boucher, L Martin (Beasley 68), Thompson, Crooks.

Sub not used: Roddam.

Att: 337.