NORTHALLERTON Town’s fading promotion hopes were all but blown away last Saturday as Washington completed a league double that culminated with Mark Fanning quitting as manager.

In conditions not conducive to good football, goals ineither half from Graham Carter and Lee Hamilton ensured Town came home empty handed from a disappointing afternoon in Sunderland.

Fanning was forced to reshuffle his pack with several key players missing. Leading scorer Adam Emson was stranded by snow in Leeds, while Dave Alderson and Marcus Laing were both absent.

Fanning’s hands were further tiedby the inclusionofCol Anderson in the Academy side, while skipper Danny Shoulder was only fit enough for the bench. The Town boss was boosted, however, by the return of Dan Clayton, who made his second debut for the club on the left-hand side of midfield.

Playing into the biting easterly wind in the first half, Fanning’s side were slow out of the blocks and twice the hosts came close to grabbing an early lead as DeanWalker and Alan Oliver both failed to beat James Briggs.

But the Mechanics did engineer the opening goal after nine minutes. Walker released Carter with a lovely flick on the edge of the penalty area and he squeezed the ball past the on-rushing Briggs before tapping home from close range.

And it should have been 2-0 moments later when Walker ran through, rounded Briggs but couldonly fire into the side netting with the goal gaping.

However, Town slowly began to come terms with the conditionsandtheydominated the rest of the half. Mickey Dunwell was close to an equaliser with a 25-yard drive which was pushed around the post by goalkeeper Chris Bonner, before James Bowman was denied by the home stopper at point blank range.

But the best chance of an equaliser fell to Carl Chillingsworth midway through the half. The veteran striker’s low shot from 18 yards was somehow pushed on to the inside the post by Bonner, who was then relieved to see the ball roll along the goal line before being cleared away to safety.

Town were still vulnerable to the ball over the top and Briggs had to be alert deny Walker and Hamilton, but in truth the visitors were unlucky to be behind at the interval.

Clayton was a constant threat down the left and he twice createdopportunities for Dunwell, while Ian Smurthwaite fired narrowly wide from 25 yards.

With the wind in their favour in the second period, Town were expected to push on and get back in to the match, but it was Washington who adapted better to the conditions and Fanning’s men were unable to really trouble Bonner. In fact it was the Mechanics who had the better chances after the restart. Dan Young got cleardownthe right on the hour and his cross only just evaded Hamilton and Walker in the centre, while Walker should then have done better after another great delivery from Young soon after.

But it was 2-0, 16 minutes from time. Substitute Chris Tate released Hamilton through the centre and he took his time, composed himself and lifted the ball coolly over Briggs from the edge of the penalty area.

It was nearly 3-0, five minutes later when Young rounded Briggs and was only denied the goal he deserved by a superb goal-line clearance from Stephen Banks.

Fanning made changes to add some fresh impetus to Town’s play in the closing stages but the nearest they came to a consolation was in stoppage time when a close range effort from Chillingsworth was blocked by Bonner.

g Following this defeat the club held an emergency board meeting where they released the following statement: “Team manager Mark Fanning and assistant Martin Collins have resigned from their positions at the club with immediate effect. Both felt that due to changes being implemented at the club, their positions had become untenable”.

Former Town boss Peter Mulcaster has taken temporary charge until the end of the season at which point the situation will be reviewed.

“I amabsolutelydelightedto be back at the club,” said Mulcaster. “I cannot wait to get started and I am looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

Club captain Danny Shoulder will be working closely with Mulcaster to ensure as little disruption as possible to team affairs.

Northallerton are in action against Alnwick Town at the RGPS tomorrow. Kick-off is 3pm with admission £5 and £2.50 concessions