Result: Blaydon 28 Darlington 20: BLAYDON face a summer of restructuring after winning the Durham Cup for the second time, while Darlington hope to keep making progress through stability.

Nick Gandy, who scored one of the tries in Saturday's final at Durham City, does not wish to continue as Blaydon's Director of Rugby and prop Dan Harper is unlikely to be the only player to leave.

But Darlington coach Phil Lancaster is setting his sights on a top three place in National Three North next season and hopes to gain a few players while losing only Mark Butler.

Entrusted with the goal-kicking this season in the absence of anyone better, Butler missed two penalties on Saturday as Darlington dominated the opening 20 minutes, only to trail 8-0.

It was 8-5 at half-time but Darlington were off the pace for the first 15 minutes of the second half and went 23-5 down, leaving themselves too much to do.

"We need a kicker and two back five forwards to strengthen the squad," said Lancaster. "We think we have found a kicker, but until they pull the shirt on you might as well say you have got Jonny Wilkinson.

"Mark Butler has been a tremendous servant to the club. He even played in the back row a couple of times this season, which showed his true commitment. He is going to look after our youth set-up, which we think is very important."

The experience in the Blaydon pack provided by skipper Dave Guthrie and flanker Shaun Cassidy, plus the strength of Harper and Peti Keni, gave them the edge up front, particularly in the scrums.

On a sunny afternoon they made little attempt to run the ball as they had in the wonderfully entertaining final between these two sides in wet conditions three years ago.

Darlington put the best moves together, leading to their two late tries, leaving their fans wondering why they hadn't run the ball earlier.

"We were a bit nave," said Lancaster. "They played to the referee and stopped us getting the early points we should have had. They got away with a few things in stopping our driving maul then took their chances much more clinically than we did.

"It's been a long week with having to play the semi-final on Wednesday and we looked tired at the start of the second half.

"But I'm pleased with the progress this season. We started with a Powergen Cup tie at Blaydon, where we played very poorly, but we are much more competitive now.

"The young lads have come through. We haven't taken all the opportunities we have had to win, but it's a young team learning all the time and we have to target the top three next season."

All four of Blaydon's tries came from close range, starting with a pushover. Dan Clappison added a penalty and after 35 minutes Darlington drove No 8 Del Lewis over following a line-out.

The forward battle became very heated just before half-time, and after one flare-up Blaydon hooker Sam Walton was fortunate to escape with a ticking-off, while referee Andrew Gardner also gave Keni a warning.

Shortly afterwards it was the impressive No 8 Matt Cook who had the misfortune to be sin-binned for illegally halting another driving maul just short of the line.

Clappison hit the post with a 40-metre penalty after the interval and Paul Lee and Martin Howe tried to run the ball out of the 22, only for Rob Stewart's chip ahead to be run back by the burly Harper. Darlington were offside at the ruck and Clappison made it 11-5.

Darlington sent on prop Joe Oselton for Paul Shepherd and David Andrew at scrum half with Stewart switching to the wing. But Andrew was immediately penalised for interfering as Blaydon were threatening to score another pushover try.

They opted for another scrum and the pressure they created allowed Cook to pick up and send Gandy over in the right corner. Clappison's excellent conversion went over off the bar.

The restart failed to go ten metres, allowing Blaydon to exert more pressure and they set up a powerful drive from a line-out on the 22. Darlington left the blind side unguarded and Keni peeled off to score from ten metres.

At 23-5 down, Darlington began to run it at every opportunity and scored a superb try with 15 minutes left.

The ball went left with nippy full back Graham Haswell in the line, then came back right before Howe stepped inside two tackles and the ball was quickly recycled again for Paul Lee to send his brother Craig over.

Butler converted then kicked a simple penalty after they had run several penalties only to concede too many turnovers.

At 23-15 with ten minutes left Darlington were back in it, but Blaydon kicked a penalty to touch and set up another drive from which Keni was stopped just short. But they whipped out two quick passes for winger Simon Barber to squeeze in at the right corner.

A brilliant kick by Clappison pinned Darlington into the left corner, but Haswell took a quick throw-in and Craig Lee sent Stewart away up the left, only for a touch judge to signal a forward pass. It was an unnecessary intrusion.

The scrum gave Clappison a simple drop goal opportunity, which he missed, allowing Darlington one last chance to attack.

Lock Richard Snowball and Lewis featured in a good move and after Stewart almost made the line a quickly-taken penalty saw Oselton nip over.

Guthrie said all the right things when accepting the cup and whoever else comes and goes at Blaydon they can always count on their long-serving captain.

* Middlesbrough returned to North One at the first attempt when they won their home play-off against Caldy 21-13.

It wasn't plain sailing against a smaller but mobile side who led 13-8 at half-time before the Boro pack got on top.

There was also a good performance from centre Andy Micklewright, who defended well and scored the try which levelled the scores.

Caldy kicked a drop goal and a penalty either side of an uncoverted try by Boro No 8 Ian Bradford, who dived over after the ball passed through several pairs of hands then came back to the forwards.

A good converted try put the visitors 13-5 ahead before Simon Moore landed a penalty and shortly after half-time Boro were level when Bradford picked up from a scrum to send Micklewright over on the blind side.

After a good line-out drive fly half Ali Little dropped a goal and near the end the ball went across the backs and back inside for scrum half Peter Wright to score.

* Durham City won the Durham Intermediate Cup when they beat Billingham 33-13 in the final at Darlington. In the Durham Seconds Cup Final Darlington Mowden Park beat Horden 18-15.