DARLINGTON'S physio will be working overtime today in an effort to get four key players fit for tomorrow night's Durham Cup semi-final at home to West Hartlepool.

Fly half Paul Lee has just about recovered after missing three games, while his brother Craig (back), prop Dan Miller (leg) and back row man Bryan Dixon (hand) were all injured in Saturday's 23-17 win at home to West Park St Helens.

Miller and Dixon were replaced, but Lee saw out the match at fly half, having switched there for Ian Dobson at half-time, with Mark Butler going on at centre.

The victory completed a double for Darlington over the side who are one place above them in North One and ended West Park's hopes of playing in the promotion play-off.

Darlington won the match in the first 20 minutes of the second half, when they stretched an 8-5 lead to 23-5 before the visitors began to throw the ball around and came back with two late tries.

Skipper David Glendenning scored 18 of Darlington's points, opening the scoring with a penalty against the wind after 22 minutes.

West Park then stole the ball to score on the counter-attack, but just before half-time Glendenning came into the line and was tackled just short, his momentum taking him over.

Three minutes after the break he was again stopped short but this time the pack helped him over, then he added a penalty.

Phil Lancaster, who had come off to allow Dan Osleton on, had to go back on when Miller was injured, while ex-colt Richard Parker replaced Dixon.

Midway through the second half the ball was moved right, left and right again before Butler crashed through the middle to score and Glendenning converted.

Trying to get their speedy full back into the attack as much as possible, West Park scored after 70 and 78 minutes, but there were two other occasions when the full back hung on when he had an overlap.

Three penalties by John Stabler had West Hartlepool 9-5 ahead at half-time at home to Tynedale, but they lost 30-9 to finish bottom of National Three North.

The visitors scored first when hooker Ed Parker was driven over, but with his opposite number Phil Belgian missing three chances Stabler kicked his side ahead.

Belgian finally succeeded with a penalty on the resumption then landed a 40-metre drop goal and Tynedale dominated the final quarter.

Scrum half Ed Holmes scored twice then broke from his own 22 to set up a try for Belgian, who added his second conversion.

Blaydon finished one point behind Darlington Mowden Park when they won 67-0 at home to relegated Sandal, scoring five tries in the first half and six in the second.

Jonny Golightly had a hand in the first two, touched down by winger James Tyrell and centre Tim Green, then scored himself in the second half, as did his ex-Mowden colleague Tasi Tuhana.

Full back Gareth King scored two tries and fly half James Lofthouse had a try and six conversions on his final appearance for the club.

Mowden found champions Doncaster in party mood and lost 86-3. Although they never gave up, they perhaps had half an eye on self-preservation ahead of next Saturday's Durham Cup final at Durham City.

With skipper Mick Kent absent, it was a tough baptism for Kieron ThoDmpson, especially as Doncaster centre Matt Brain was in outstanding form.

Mark Bedworth kicked a penalty for Mowden but they were 36-3 down at half-time.

In North One Middlesbrough lost 54-18 at home to Sheffield and will now turn their attentions to the Yorkshire Cup, in which they entertain Bridlington on Wednesday.

They initially took the game to Sheffield and fly half Andy Dean kicked a penalty after three minutes. But the visitors were intent on throwing the ball around and scored five converted tries to lead 35-8 at half-time.

Boro's reply came when they moved the ball along the line for Tom Lauriston to score and in the second half his fellow centre Steve Wallis weaved his way through to the line from 40 metres.

Lock Ian Robinson was also driven over, but Sheffield added three more tries.

Westoe, Redcar and Stockton finished fourth, fifth and seventh in North Two East, with Northern third from the bottom after closing with a 27-12 win at home to basement club Bridlington.

A first half hat-trick by winger Paul Hagan helped Westoe to a 31-15 home win against Stockton, who paid the price for allowing the speedy hosts to run at them.

A try by Craig Chapman, converted by Dave Turner, who added a penalty, got Stockton back in the game after trailing 17-0 and they improved in the second half.

But home full back Craig Stephenson broke away to score against the run of play and the only reward for Stockton's pressure was a try by fly half Lee Richardson.

Redcar came back to level the score at Morpeth after trailing 12-0, only to be denied by a late penalty from home winger Greg Dawson. Redcar's tries were scored by Martin Challenor and Kevin Jones, who added a conversion.

There were two tries each for John Paul and Darren Greenlaw as Horden won 31-5 at Ryton and now need one point from two games to clinch the Durham and Northumberland Division One title.

In the Hartlepool derby TDSOB won 7-3 at Rovers, breaking the deadlock in a dour encounter with a converted try on the hour. Rovers replied with a Phil Hall penalty, but their late pressure brought no reward.

Winger Pete Wallace scored a hat-trick as division two leaders Acklam won 34-8 against Whitby.

Northallerton completed their Yorkshire Two programme with a 15-12 home win against Ripon. Newcomer Gavin Hamilton kicked the winning penalty and also converted a try by Peter Clarke, while Matthew Bell also touched down.

Read more about the Quakers here.