Emley AFC manager Richard Tracey says his side must keep “going about our business professionally” as the Pewits head into a big away trip at Bishop Auckland on the back of an important 3-0 win over fellow promotion hopefuls Dunston.

Second-placed Emley made it six straight wins with another clean sheet at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground last weekend, as Bailey Thompson's early penalty and Ellis Farrar’s second-half brace secured all three points in a fiery contest that featured three red cards and plenty of incident.

Reflecting on the victory, Tracey admitted it had been a strange afternoon, but one that could prove significant in Emley’s push to secure a play-off place, he said: “Saturday was a fantastic result and a really good performance from the lads, but in truth it was quite a surreal game. Dunston had a player, Turnbull, who is a good footballer, booked early on for arguing with the referee and then apparently moved the ball slightly and got a second yellow. From where we were it looked like a really bizarre red card. After about 30 minutes we were already 1-0 up having won the penalty. Cleggy (Joe Clegg) chased what looked like a lost cause after a short pass inside and did really well to win it.

“We then got a corner and nearly scored a great header at the back post which gave us that little bit of a cushion. I felt we managed the next 10 minutes really well. They had a bit of a go at us but we were quite comfortable at 11 v 10.”

Emley went in 2-0 up at the break after Farrar headed home, but the game took another dramatic turn in the second half when both Jack Cowgill and Dunston’s Sado Djalo were sent off in the same incident.

Tracey felt his skipper was unfortunate to be dismissed, he said: “Unfortunately the second half became difficult because Jack had a coming together with the keeper. It was a foul, I won’t dispute that, but it was never a yellow card. Then shortly after he’s checked a runner and nine times out of ten that’s just given as a foul. Unfortunately Dunston had three or four players chasing the referee asking for a second yellow. Their number nine then put his hands on the referee and was shown a straight red, and after that the referee booked Jack and sent him off as well. We were really disappointed because we don’t think either of Jack’s incidents warranted a booking. It meant the game finished ten versus nine, which was strange because there wasn’t really a bad tackle all game.”

Even so, Emley kept their discipline, saw out the pressure and added a late third as Farrar struck again to wrap up the points in front of a crowd of 466. Tracey added: “In the end we were fortunate to get the third goal which took the edge off it. If they’d pulled one back they were really fired up, but Ellis finished really well after a great header from Carlos. Overall we’re really pleased because it helped build the gap between us and the teams outside the play-offs. Dunston were the closest team outside the play-off places and now there’s a 13-point gap, so if we go about our business professionally we’ve got a really good chance of securing our place in the play-offs.”

Attention now turns to Saturday’s trip to Bishop Auckland, with Emley making their final journey to the North East of the season. The hosts sit 19th in the table and are battling for survival, while Emley are looking to maintain pressure at the top after winning seven and drawing one of their last eight league games.

Tracey is expecting a difficult challenge against a side with plenty to fight for, he said: “Bishop Auckland have got a new manager in Martin Gray who’s very experienced and did a great job with Darlington. They’ll be disappointed because results around them have gone against them while they haven’t been playing. Ashington and Blyth Spartans have both picked up wins and that’s pulled Bishop Auckland back into the relegation battle. So it’s going to be a huge game for them. For us it’s about fighting to secure our place in the play-offs and finishing as high as we can, but for them it’s about fighting for their lives.

“League tables don’t always tell the full story either. Blyth have gone unbeaten since we beat them and Ashington have picked up wins as well. That shows, you have to be a good side to beat these teams. Bishop will be very dangerous. They beat us at home earlier in the season relatively comfortably, so we need to go there and make sure our desire to win the game outweighs theirs.”

Emley’s squad will have to cope without Cowgill, who serves a suspension following his sending off against Dunston, although there could be a welcome boost elsewhere, Tracey said: “Jack is suspended for Saturday which is disappointing, because it was two yellow cards you can’t appeal it, which makes it frustrating because we felt the situation only came about because of their player’s actions. However we believe in the depth of the squad so we’ll go and take on that challenge. We’re also hopeful that Gabby Johnson will be back in the country and available this weekend. We’ll see where he’s at sharpness-wise after training. What the lads have done without Gab over the last few games has been phenomenal, but he’s obviously a real asset to us and we’d be delighted to have him back involved.”

There has also been movement off the pitch this week, with goalkeeper Declan Lambton leaving the club to join Matlock Town after four years at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground.

Tracey admitted it was a disappointing departure, but one the club understood. He commented: “We’re obviously disappointed because we didn’t want Declan to leave, certainly not at this stage of the season. For a couple of months we’d made Declan a very good offer to stay, but he didn’t want to commit mid-season because he hoped he might get an opportunity higher up the pyramid. Matlock came in after their goalkeeper got injured and once the financial terms were agreed they spoke to Declan and he decided to pursue that opportunity. As a club we would have loved him to stay, but you also have to look at the human side. He’s a young man and the financial package on offer was significant, so it would have been difficult to stand in the way of that. Declan has been excellent for us for four years. A lot of our success has been built on having a consistent goalkeeper who fits the way we play and produces when needed. He leaves with our very best wishes. We spoke this morning and he thanked us for everything over the last four years, and we thank him as well because he’s been part of a very successful team here.”

After Saturday’s test in County Durham, Emley then head to in-form Silsden in midweek, with another tough assignment waiting for Tracey’s side as the season enters a crucial stage: “Silsden are in great form at the moment and their manager is doing a great job there. They’ve had some purple patches where they’ve gone on really good runs and they’re on another strong run now. They’ve got some very good players and we know it’ll be a tough game. It’s one we’ll look forward to once the Bishop Auckland game is out of the way.”

With confidence high, momentum building and the play-off gap growing, Emley head into another huge week knowing every point could prove vital in the promotion race.