THE battle of two No 8s vying for top spot in the National One try-scoring list saw Hugo Ellis outscore Jason Smithson 3-1 as Rosslyn Park won 46-22 at home to Blaydon.

Smithson, with 23, remains two ahead of his rival but had fewer chances on a day when Blaydon were blown away by three tries in the third quarter.

They felt they were unlucky not to be ahead at half-time as Smithson touched down a pushover try, only to find the referee had already blown for a penalty, from which they failed to profit.

Instead they trailed 15-10, Brett Connon having kicked a penalty and a conversion, but the game was lost by the time they were awarded a penalty try for a collapsed scrum.

They also spun the ball out for winger Tom Grimes to score a late try, but the chance of a bonus point went begging when a clear overlap was wasted.

Tynedale ended any fears of a second successive relegation when they scored 33 unanswered points in the second half to beat Otley 50-17 at Kingston Park.

It was 17-17 at half-time but the recent impact of prop Ben Haigh and fly half Rob Parker was evident as Tynedale ran amok.

Parker converted six of the seven tries and added a penalty as, for the third successive game, he played a big part in a win which lifted Tynedale into mid-table in Two North.

Billingham remain similarly placed in Three North after coming back from 23-17 down to win 41-23 at home to struggling Birkenhead Park.

Luke Wilson scored a brace, the other tries coming from Elliott Husband, James Watson, Joe Evans and Matt Kirby. Peter Evans landed a penalty and four conversions.

Westoe and Northern both suffered hammerings in North One East to remain second and third bottom. Wheatley Hills, who are just above them, are at home this week to bottom club Beverley.

After their 74-14 thrashing at Morley, Northern entertain third-placed Alnwick, who beat Westoe 52-0 to stay ahead of West Hartlepool.

West won 20-15 at home to a Pocklington side coached by Mick Watson, who was greeted by several of his old team-mates at a former players' lunch.

There was no change in Durham and Northumberland One with leaders Durham City winning 37-13 at Horden ahead of playing their game in hand at Gateshead tomorrow evening.

A full hand there would take them eight points clear of Middlesbrough, who came back from 16-10 down at half-time to win 28-16 at home to Consett.

Boro will probably have to win at home to City on April 16 to have a chance of home advantage in a promotion play-off against Malton and Norton, but first they have to win at Horden this week.

Horden provided feisty opposition for City and the referee spoke to both teams several times while issuing three yellow cards.

Craig Dominic scored the pick of City's five tries from his own 22, the others coming from Chris Metcalfe (2), Bradley Pears and Will Paxton. Paul Armstrong kicked two penalties and three conversions.

Consett's indiscipline cost them at Boro, with a player being sent off for stamping in the second half.

Three penalties and a converted try after a kick ahead bounced kindly for the right winger gave Consett their 16-10 interval lead.

Boro had scored the first try from a break and off-load by Sam Gaudie to Euan Tremlett, who drew the full back and passed inside for Ali Lang to score under the posts.

They held out under immense pressure before half-time but stepped up the intensity on the resumption, only for Ash Kearney and a Consett prop to be sin-binned for fighting.

The penalty went to Boro, reducing the deficit to three points. And they went ahead when, from a ruck five metres out, the ball popped loose and James Pennington pounced to score.

Once Consett were reduced to 14 Boro capitalised. A Rhys Kilbride run was followed a back-of-the-hand offload from captain Rob Bellerby to Joe Gaudie, who scored.

Minutes later his brother, Sam, got the bonus point try after charging down a clearance.

Stockton lost 24-3 at Ryton, who needed to win to stave off Ponteland's brave bid to escape relegation. With Medicals also winning 39-33 against Acklam, Ponteland's 23-22 victory against Gateshead was to no avail.

They are, however, 34 points ahead of Darlington, whose 23rd straight defeat, by 78-5 at Hartlepool Rovers, took their points difference above the 1,000 mark.