Darlington Mowden Park 56, Blaydon 15.

WHILE there was fun in the sun for Mowden Park and their fans in Saturday's Durham Cup final at Blackwell Meadows, the lack of a contest continued to leave a cloud over the competition.

County officials have questioned whether they want national league clubs in the cup, although much of the farce of recent years has stemmed from a club below that level, Westoe.

In an attempt to alleviate the problems this season the cup was restricted to the county's top four teams, only for holders Blaydon to field virtually a second XV in the final.

They did something similar in an early round two years ago to ensure that the cup progressed, while others dithered, and they are at least consistent in supporting the event while putting their league ambitions first.

The next two weeks - possibly three if they face a play-off - will decide whether they are promoted to National Two, which is why they fielded only three of the previous week's starting line-up.

The game was over as a contest by the time Blaydon trailed 32-3 after 30 minutes, and all that was left to admire was Mowden's ability to entertain while barely bringing a patched-up threequarter line into play.

Neither winger had a decent run, yet the last of their eight tries came from replacement prop Danny Brown storming 35 metres up the right flank like a raging rhino.

There was a hat-trick for pacy open side flanker, Scott Riddell, and a brace for lock Chris Wearmouth, while most of the jinks and breaks came from half backs Andy Foreman and Lewis Farrar.

As Mowden will finish sixth or seventh in the league, there was a suspicion that they were holding something back for the cup final when they lost 67-3 at Tynedale last week and this game swiftly produced a reversal of fortunes.

The outrageous bounces which saw them concede two tries prior to some heads going down at Tynedale this time went in Mowden's favour, and while they were unlucky not to score an early try at Corbridge, so were Blaydon here.

Amazingly, in an open game, only the first two of the ten tries came from backs, the first arriving after two minutes when a Blaydon clearance failed to find touch.

The ball bounced wickedly back in field and as off-side Blaydon players left it alone, Farrar put full back Iain Dixon over in the left corner.

The fly half unveiled previously unseen kicking talents by converting, then added two penalties either side of a drop goal by opposite number Richard Windle.

Farrar then broke from halfway, chipped delicately over the full back and re-gathered to go under the posts, the conversion giving him 15 of the first 20 points.

Riddell scored the next two, first taking a long pass in midfield to accelerate between the opposing centres and side-step the full back to go under the posts.

Then Foreman broke diagonally from a ruck on the left touchline and when he was caught 15 metres from the posts he flipped the ball up for the supporting flanker to score again.

With the game in the bag, it was 25 minutes before Mowden scored again, by which time they had sent on Brown and Jason Smithson for the final half hour.

With no threat in the backs, Blaydon were relying on the driving maul to try to get back into the game and following a penalty to the corner flanker Duncan Brown was driven over.

But after driving another maul 20 metres they let the ball out and went backwards, then a dropped pass in midfield was pounced on by Smithson, who sent Wearmouth under the posts.

Blaydon came back with another catch-and-drive try for Paul Brady, but then Smithson cleverly turned the ball back inside for Riddell to go through a big gap at pace and race 40 metres to the left corner.

With the game entering added time Mowden attacked from their own line, Riddell again featuring strongly as they stormed up the left touchline.

They briefly lost the ball, but Blaydon surrendered it again and it was worked inside for Wearmouth's second.

Farrar added his fifth conversion and from the restart he broke down the middle and fired out the long pass which allowed Brown his moment of glory.

Gateshead reached the final of the Durham Intermediate Cup on the away team rule following a 29-29 draw at Horden. They face Durham City in the final at Billingham on April 21.