DURHAM'S yo-yo existence in the county championship looks set to continue after a second successive defeat on their return to the top flight.

They lost 17-6 to Lancashire at Blaydon, while in the women's match Durham snatched a 31-31 draw with an injury time try.

The final matches are against Cheshire on Saturday at Darlington Mowden Park’s Northern Echo Arena, kicking off at 12.30 and 3pm.

Players and fans found many of the referee's decisions baffling in the main event at Blaydon, in which Durham were captained by Billingham fly half Peter Evans in the absence of Chris Wearmouth.

The Blaydon lock was away on his stag weekend and was replaced by Mowden Park's Guy van den Dries.

A penalty by Evans opened the scoring but he missed two, one rebounding off a post, before Durham went in at half-time 5-3 down.

Evans landed a second penalty but Lancashire scored two more tries and worked very hard in defence to keep Durham out.

Durham: Elliott Husband (Billingham), Craig Dominic (Mowden Park), Joe Evans (Billingham), Arnie Stevenson, Paul Armstrong (Durham City), Peter Evans (capt), Danny Finney (Billingham), Alec Clarey (Bishop Auckland), Tom Larder (Mowden Park), Trevor Davidson (Blaydon), Guy Van Den Dries,Talite Vaioleti (Mowden Park), Dan Boatman (West Hartlepool), Dan Burns (Billingham), Sam Miller (West Hartlepool) In the women's game replacement Toni Thomkins, from Darlington, scored her second try in injury time to level the scores, with fly half Laura Envy's conversion going narrowly wide.

Every time Lancashire went ahead Durham hit back, their first half tries coming from scrum-half Sydnie Grace and centre Kirsty Paterson.

They trailed 19-12 at half-time but Thomkins' double and three conversions by Envy earned a very creditable draw.

Durham: Tara Breslin (Acklam), Ursula Hardy (Teesside University), Kirsty Paterson, Danielle Andrews, Karen Stubbs Donkin, Laura Envy, Sydnie Grace (Sunderland), Lisa Dobby, Kathleen Huggins Hall (Darlington), Jodie Edwards (Sunderland), Alison Lodge, Jess Cheesman (capt), Yoliswa Sindile (Darlington), Saskia Ryan Munden, Alison Bell (Darlington).