Emphatic win for Mowden (From The Northern Echo)

Emphatic win for Mowden

9:00am Monday 9th January 2012 in North-East Rugby News By Tim Wellock

DARLINGTON Mowden Park surged 12 points clear in National Three North with a clinical demolition of Rossendale.

The Lancashire club arrived in second place but trailed 34-0 before scoring two late tries when Mowden were down to 14 men.

They lost lock Neil Young after ten minutes, No 8 James Knox in the second half and finally both wingers, Chris McTurk and Paul Shepherd, went off.

None of the injuries are serious, but Mowden will be hoping the recurrence of McTurk's hamstring problem doesn't keep him out after he marked his return with two excellent tries.

The first came within 30 seconds of the kick-off. Rossendale caught the ball, Mowden turned it over and whipped it out to McTurk, who beat the inside cover through pace and chipped over the full back to score.

That set the tone and chairman of rugby Mike Keeligan said: "It was our best performance of the season. We were absolutely dominant and the handling was brilliant.

"They intended to play ten-man rugby, but our flankers, Liam Riley and Luke Wishnowsky, tackled superbly and we won a lot of turnover ball then ran away from them."

After a flowing move from halfway, scrum half Todd Harrison was driven over by skipper Junior Fagalilo for the second try.

It was converted by Grant Connon, who later found himself opposed by two props and ran round them to score. He again converted and added a penalty for a 22-0 half-time lead.

The Rossendale forwards applied pressure for 15 minutes before McTurk counter-attacked from deep in his own half, chipping ahead before re-gathering and outpacing the full back to score.

Replacement prop Danny Dixon launched the next attack, again from the Mowden half, and after quick recycling centre Chris Peace skilfully made ground before full back Max Connon took his pass on a defence-splitting line to go under the posts.

The conversion completed Mowden's tally and both Rossendale's tries came in the last seven minutes.

Blaydon will be looking over their shoulders in National One after losing 16-10 at Macclesfield while two of the teams below them, Cinderford and Sedgley Park, pulled off shock away wins.

After Ross Winney rewarded early Macclesfield pressure with a drop goal they had back row man Matt Owen sin-binned and Blaydon got on top.

They went ahead with a try by prop Robbie Kalbraier, converted by Andrew Baggett, but Macclesfield came straight back and scored tries either side of half-time.

Both teams added a penalty, which in Blaydon's case was scant reward for their late pressure. But they were kept out by excellent defence.

Tynedale looked like suffering a shock home defeat against Barking until they sent Newcastle Falcons starlet Joel Hodgson off the bench for the last 15 minutes.

An early 12-0 lead had become a 17-12 deficit and Tynedale could scarcely get out of their own half until Hodgson inspired all-out attack.

Scrum half Harry Peck scored with ten minutes left and Hodgson converted before adding the bonus point try himself in the last minute. The early tries had come from centre Matty Outson and winger Alan Rogers.

Westoe moved into joint second place in National Two North when a 14-0 home win against Luctonians gave them their seventh successive victory.

After a scoreless first half Westoe won two line-outs in quick succession and No 8 Ollie Stedman was driven over for the only try.

Mark Bedworth, playing at centre to accommodate Charlie Rayner, added three penalties and said: "We were made to work very hard and we ground out the win."

The only blemish for Westoe was the late dismissal of scrum half Chris Judson, along with a visiting flanker.

West Hartlepool lost 30-12 at Penrith, despite trailing by only eight points after playing into a strong wind.

The hosts came out strongly on the restart scoring two tries in four minutes after breaks from their own half to lead 25-5.

Greg Edwards scored West's first half try but their only reward for second half pressure was a late converted try by Adam Coates. Injuries to Luke Watson and Stu Waites completed the misery.

Billingham remain top of North One East, despite a 22-19 defeat in a good game at Malton and Norton, where they were outgunned up front but posed the usual threat behind.

Home centre Teei Piawi opened the scoring with a penalty but a brilliant individual try by Anth Hyndman, converted by Peter Evans, put Billingham 7-3 ahead at the break.

From a scrum 30 metres out a clever chip was gathered by fly half Joe Evans, who crossed in the corner and his brother's excellent conversion made it 14-3.

Malton scrum half Henry Newitt nipped over from a five-metre scrum then left winger Tom Newitt raced in to complete a fine move.

The hosts scored another converted try to stretch their lead to 22-14 but a poor pass was seized by Billingham's replacement winger, Joe Screen, who crossed in the corner. But a late penalty by Piawi ended the leaders' challenge.

It seems they need have no fears of Middlesbrough, who slipped to third place through a damaging 21-19 defeat at home to Northern.

Centre Rob Bellerby cried off through illness and was badly missed as Northern went straight through the middle for the try which turned the game.

Boro had dominated the first half hour and led 7-0 through a good try by full back Ross McNeill, converted by Simon Moore.

But it was 7-7 at half-time then Northern got on top and with the help of an interception try they forged 21-7 ahead.

Replacement centre Jamie Muncer scored for Boro but time was almost up when winger Josh Evans also crossed. Moore narrowly failed with his attempt to level the score from the touchline.