Mowden open up a gap at the top (From The Northern Echo)

Mowden open up a gap at the top

10:00am Monday 16th January 2012 in Rugby News By Tim Wellock

DARLINGTON Mowden Park are proving unstoppable in National Three North, surging 14 points clear with a 41-5 win at Birkenhead Park.

Even with five changes because of injuries, they had too much skill and pace for the fourth-placed Merseysiders, who tried and failed to stop them by spreading players across the pitch.

Mowden have no game this week and will face a selection dilemma if everyone is fit on the resumption, especially as Ben Seru scored two tries on his first appearance of the season.

There was also a brace for flanker Luke Wishnowsky, who scored the try of the game at the end following a brilliant break by his rival for man of the match honours, fly half Grant Connon.

While conditions have continued to favour Mowden's high-speed game, they have also proved they can knuckle down in the tight, with the front row of Dan Miller, Junior Fagalilo and Ralph Appleby dominating on Saturday.

The injuries allowed reserve loose head Danny Dixon to get a game at No 8, where he carried and tackled very effectively.

The only blot was that Andrew Tonkin, a valuable squad member, broke an arm near the end of the game after going into the back row for the final 30 minutes.

Mowden moved the ball wide from the outset and after six phases Wishnowsky linked with the backs to go under the posts.

The hosts then scored an interception try for their only points before Mowden's relentless pressure allowed Connon to kick two penalties.

Dixon was driven over following a ruck in the left corner then the ball was moved out for Seru to make it 27-5 at half-time, Connon converting all three tries.

Mowden then showed they could also defend as Birkenhead dominated possession for 20 minutes, but the four-try bonus point was secured when Seru's defence-splitting line took him under the posts. Then came Wishnowsky's second, with Connon again coverting.

The postponement of Blaydon's home match against Coventry saw them slip to fourth from bottom in National One as Cinderford moved above them with a third successive win.

Blaydon have two games in hand and victory in the first of those, at home to Tynedale on February 5, is beginning to look imperative.

Tynedale lost 23-21 at Cambridge, despite taking the lead against the run of play when winger Alan Rogers exploited an overlap on the left and ran round behind the posts.

A Cambridge prop burrowed over before Tynedale scrum half Harry Peck had a kick charged down and the hosts scored again. They added a penalty for a 13-7 half-time lead.

Cambridge had two men in the sin bin when full back Hamish Smales scored a converted try to edge Tynedale back in front.

But the hosts came back with a penalty and converted try before replacement Tom Bramwell scored to earn Tynedale a bonus point.

Westoe's promotion hopes in National Two North were dented by an 18-14 defeat at Nuneaton, who are in the bottom half.

All Westoe's points came from player-coach Mark Bedworth, whose first converted try edged them 7-6 ahead on the half hour.

Nuneaton came out strongly after the interval and good handling produced a fine try in the second minute. Ten minutes later they drove a maul 25 metres to score for an 18-7 lead.

Bedworth raced over with 14 minutes left, but against a strong defence Westoe had to settle for the losing bonus point and Caldy's win at Otley took them back into second place.

Middlesbrough hung on for a 20-19 win at Old Brodleians to stay third in North One East after the hosts missed a very kickable penalty at the death.

Jack Bircham kicked two for Middlesbrough and converted both tries, his second one proving vital when it bounced over off the bar.

Boro failed to build on a cracking start, however, as they caught the kick-off and drove almost to the line before moving the ball out.

They set up a maul and drove hooker Richard Horton over, but were unable to add to their score until they trailed 16-7 midway through the second half.

Full back Ross McNeill then finished a good move and Bircham's penalties gave them a 20-16 lead. Old Brodleians landed only one of three penalties in the last ten minutes.

In one of the few matches played in the North-East, Stockton lost 18-10 on Gosforth's artificial pitch, failing to build on last week's win against D and N One leaders Darlington.

Front row men Dan Muirhead and Mark Conway were late cry-offs, being replaced by youngsters Dave Moulder and Tom Nelson, then centre Richie Brown pulled a hamstring in the warm-up.

Jeremy Good kicked an early penalty, but Gosforth replied with a drop goal and three penalties to lead 12-3 at half-time.

With Moulder unable to throw in because of a shoulder problem, No 8 Scott Powell did the job for Stockton and when scrum half Rob Green broke through a line-out he returned the ball to Powell on the left wing to score.

Good's conversion had the gap down to two points with 30 minutes left, but Stockton paid for their lack of urgency when Gosforth added two penalties in the last ten minutes.