Match Report: Stockton 19 Darlington 17 (From The Northern Echo)

Hodgkins injury blow for defeated Darlington

10:00am Monday 9th January 2012 in North-East Rugby News By Tim Wellock

THE 80 minutes were almost up when, in a matter of seconds, Darlington lost the game's most influential player, No 8 Andy Hodgkins, and conceded the penalty which handed Stockton victory.

It was Jeremy Good's fourth penalty and he also converted Stockton's only try, allowing them to complete a satisfying double, despite losing the try count 3-1.

After turning round to play downhill with the wind behind them, Darlington quickly scored the converted try which put them 17-16 ahead. They had more than half an hour to score the bonus point try and nail down both victory and promotion.

Instead, their constant infringing at the breakdown allowed Stockton to get back on top and narrow the gap at the top of Durham and Northumberland One to five points.

Given the lack of opposition elsewhere, Darlington should still go up, but resources will be stretched if Hodgkins' ankle injury keeps him out for any length of time.

His back row colleague Richard Snowball had also departed ten minutes earlier but the Darlington forwards still managed to muster the will for one final surge.

Catch-and-drive was always their best route to the line and when they were stopped just short in injury time a scrum was awarded.

They mounted the necessary shove and looked certain to get over. But when the scrum turned the referee told scrum half Mark Baldwin to use the ball. When he didn't do so the whistle went for full time just as the Stockton front row stood up, prompting a melee.

Doubtless Darlington felt aggrieved, but they had only themselves to blame for allowing Stockton to snatch a narrow win for the third time in their last four league meetings.

The tackling was robust, but neither set of backs hinted that they might be capable of operating at a higher level, although at least Stockton were adventurous enough to try to run out of defence.

When they tried it 15 minutes into the second half it proved a major turning point. They didn't make much progress, but visiting centre Henry Carver was sin-binned for preventing release, levelling the yellow card count at 2-2, and Stockton were able to relieve the pressure.

They should have scored just before Carver returned, moving the ball right then left with overlaps available. The passing wasn't good enough to capitalise, which was no surprise given the game's general level of handling skills.

One sublime pass from player-coach Craig Lee, again choosing to direct operations from fly half against his former club, set up Stockton's try.

Powerful No 8 Scott Powell made ground off the back of a scrum then the ball was moved left and Lee's pass found full back Good, who sent winger Simon Crozier over.

The conversion plus two penalties put Stockton 13-5 ahead after trailing to a fifth minute try by lofty lock Chris Oakley.

Darlington scored an identical try in the right corner through prop Joe Hargreaves following another penalty to touch and looked like repeating it until they were illegally halted.

Either Stockton flanker might have been yellow carded but Matt Wootten had already had one and it was Wayne Brown who went to the bin.

Good's third penalty gave Stockton a six-point half-time cushion, which didn't look enough, even though the wind had dropped.

After Darlington drove a maul ten metres Snowball picked up to score by the posts and Carver converted. They were well on top at that point, but with the help of Brown's return Stockton rallied impressively and with the visitors incapable of heeding the referee's stringency it was no surprise when Good was handed the chance to win it.

It was a straight kick from 25 metres and although it hung on the breeze it dropped comfortably over the bar.