BOTH Darlington clubs lost at the weekend and, with nine games left, they are locked in a battle with Cleckheaton to avoid the third relegation place in National Three North.

The West Yorkshire club remain third from the bottom after a 17-15 home win against Darlington, whose bonus point for losing by fewer than eight took them one point above Mowden.

A seventh successive defeat for Mowden, by 32-22 at home to New Brighton, left them only two points ahead of Cleckheaton, who they visit on April 2.

With home games to come against the bottom two, Bedford Athletic and Dudley Kingswinford, Darlington look to have the easiest run-in.

Only three of Mowden's games are at home, all against teams in the top six, so they will be desperate to get something out of their trips to Bedford and Cleckheaton.

They will also be very keen to end their losing run in tomorrow's rearranged game at Blaydon, especially as their troubles can almost be traced back to the controversial postponement of the fixture at the end of November.

Mowden were on a good run at the time, while Blaydon were having a dreadful trot. They called in a local referee, whose verdict at 10.30 on a sunny morning that the pitch was 80pc unplayable because of frost persuaded the match referee not to travel from Hull.

Roles have since been reversed, with Blaydon winning six of their last seven games, including their visit to Mowden three weeks ago.

Hopes that goal-kicker Mark Bedworth would be back for last Saturday's game were dashed as he had still not recovered from injury and illness, while No 8 Matt Holmes failed a fitness test and winger James Hamer had suffered an injury playing for the Newcastle Development team.

Newcastle's own injury problems meant they were able to release only prop Danny Brown, winger Peter Phelan and hooker Stuart Mackie, a member of the England Under 21 squad, for duty with Mowden, who had hoped for more.

Mackie went on for Tasi Tuhana when Mowden went 22-8 down two minutes after half-time, but against New Brighton's powerful, well-drilled pack it was asking a lot for a 19-year-old to have an impact.

There was a clear lack of confidence in Mowden's dreadful start as no-one collected the kick-off and they immediately went 7-0 down.

They were lucky not to be punished when Michael Georgiou made a hash of the restart, but then they found some spirit and showed they had more talent in the backs than their visitors. They went 8-7 ahead, but the lead was all too brief as frequent mistakes proved costly.

Although neither showed much inclination to pass, centres Iain Dixon and Matt Howland were always a threat, with Dixon scoring one try and making the running for the other two, both finished off by flanker Matt Wright.

But Dixon also kicked the ball dead when trying to put a penalty into the corner, and his kick into touch on the full allowed New Brighton a line-out platform just outside the 22 which led to a try.

Three of their four tries came from mauls being driven over the line and the other also stemmed from a maul being driven 20 metres before the ball was moved left then right for a centre to score.

There was a flicker of hope for Mowden when Dixon's converted try 12 minutes from time got the gap down to 25-15, but then Danny Brown blotted his copybook.

He had started very well, but he joined the fans in voicing his frustration to referee Alan Hughes and from the resulting penalty to touch the visitors scored their final try.

Ian Robinson had a good game at No 6 for Mowden and, of their other former Middlesbrough players, Shaun Richardson provided a quick, accurate service from scrum half and Paul Evans worked hard at No 8, while Tom Lauriston barely saw the ball on the wing.

After New Brighton's early converted try, Dixon kicked a penalty then made the running for Robinson to send Wright over, but the visitors came back to drive No 8 Katilimoni Tuipolotu over again.

Mowden could have gone back in front after Evans and Robinson broke away off the back off a scrum which was under pressure. A sweeping move covered 70 metres, but Howland was stopped just short then a dropped pass allowed New Brighton to break out and kick a penalty.

They scored again straight after the interval and more forward pressure ended with a maul being pulled down. New Brighton kicked the penalty to lead 25-8.

Dixon burst through to score from 25 metres and added the conversion, but it was quickly wiped out by Brown's backchat and Wright's second try came too late to make a difference.

The bonus point Darlington collected at Cleckheaton was scant consolation after dominating the game.

The hosts scored a try four minutes from time and the fact that the conversion which clinched victory was from wide out rubbed salt into Darlington's wounds as they were made to pay for the absence of David Kell.

Following his 23-point haul the previous week he surprised his teammates by crying off with a calf strain, his place being taken by newcomer Neil Howe.

Ben Snook took over the kicking and, had he succeeded with either of two penalties after 66 and 75 minutes, Darlington would have won. But they had enough opportunities to have sewn the game up long before that.

Cleckheaton's winning try came when they broke away from their own 22 after Darlington dropped the ball as they were still dominating at that late stage.

Scrum half Rob Stewart was too often guilty of taking the ball into contact when he had players free outside, while the driving maul did not work as well as in the home meeting between the sides, although it did produce the two tries.

Lee finished off the one in the first half, with Snook adding the conversion and a penalty for a 10-3 interval lead.

Player-coach John Bentley scored on the wing for Cleckheaton straight after half-time and an excellent conversion levelled the scores.

Lock Michael Taylor was driven over from a line-out after 52 minutes to put Darlington 15-10 in front, but they paid for failing to take their chances.