Darlington Mowden Park could gamble on pressing Mark Bedworth back into service for the match they must win at home to Tynedale tomorrow.

After being out for nearly three months with hamstring and pelvic problems, Mowden desperately need Bedworth to kick their goals and keep them in National Three North.

Prior to his injury they had won six and drawn one of their ten matches and were sitting comfortably, but they have since won only one out of 11 games.

If Bedworth suffers no reaction to last night's training he is likely to play at full back in place of the unavailable Iain Dixon, who has had modest success as the goal-kicking deputy.

Another potential full back Mowden have been hoping all season they might be able to call upon, Steve Jones, has been loaned out by Newcastle to Rugby League club Huddersfield Giants.

Jones, 22, began his career at Stockton and played for England Colts before joining the Newcastle Academy.

Dixon remains Mowden's leading try-scorer with seven, but scoring points has been their problem and they have the joint lowest try tally in the division with Blaydon on 41.

Darlington have 53 and would be delighted to add a few more tomorrow at Blaydon, where the winners will feel they need only one more victory for safety.

There is a statistical curiosity in Darlington's try-scoring pattern as in the first 20 minutes of matches they have managed only eight, which is the lowest in the division. But in the third quarter they have scored 19, which is the highest.

Their habit of starting slowly continued last week when they fell 10-0 down to bottom club Bedford Athletic, but player-coach Craig Lee said: "Bedford deserved credit because they came with a game plan and they spoilt things and got among us.

"We didn't play particularly well but we were not as bad as when we lost at home to Blaydon, so we will have to put that right. They will be relying on their big forwards, so we will have to try to move them around a bit."

With his brother Paul back at fly half after a two-week absence, Lee will revert to centre alongside Ben Snook in an otherwise unchanged team.

Blaydon will also rely on the same personnel after their win at Dudley, although utility back Andy Khan is back from holiday and will play a part.

The other struggling team, Rugby Lions, will probably need to win three of their four remaining games to stay up. But starting with Dudley at home tomorrow, they will not see it as an impossible task as they also have Blaydon at home and Bedford and Darlington away.

Despite their recent good run, Cleckheaton are still not totally out of the woods as three of their next four games are away to top five sides. The exception is Mowden at home on April 2.

Having thrashed the bottom team in North One last week, Middlesbrough now entertain leaders Preston Grasshoppers in a rearranged game tomorrow.

Stockton also have a rearranged match in North Two East at home to Sandal, who are a point below them fourth from the bottom.

Flanker Brett Wildridge is unavailable, but prop Gary Skirving returns so Danny Muirhead will revert to hooker.

Redcar, occupying the third relegation spot, are at home to West Hartlepool and will not have to face their former lock Andrew Davies, who is getting married. With Paul Rudd likely to be ruled out by a finger injury, West have Carl Miller and Phil Henderson standing by to team up in the second row.

Ex-West men Jamie Connolly and Paul Beal will have Redcar fired up for a lost throw of the dice in their bid to beat the drop.