SCRUM half Richard Holborough was the star in Mowden Park's eighth successive win as he scored two of the three tries and made the other against Dudley Kingswinford.

The speedy former Yorkshire Under 21s player ensured a comfortable win against opponents who had their share of play but never looked like breaking down the impressive home defence.

As Mowden prepare to face the two sides above them, Waterloo and Halifax, in the next two weeks they will be looking to the Newcastle Academy for reinforcements after suffering two injuries.

There was a lengthy hold-up just before half-time before they were able to get Jon Dye to his feet and help him off following a neck injury.

He was taken to hospital, where fears were allayed when the problem was diagnosed as muscular. But he must be doubtful for the trip to Waterloo, who maintained their 100 per cent record with a 53-3 win at Fylde.

Dye, normally a back row man, has been doing a good job as a second row deputy for Kelekolio Paino, whose knee injury is responding well to treatment. The Tongan is to see a specialist on Friday in the hope that he can start training soon.

The gap could be filled by Academy boy Andy Buist, or Mowden could draft in Luke Monument, who starred in the 25-21 Durham Second Teams Cup win against Westoe on Saturday.

With Andy Foreman failing to recover from his calf injury, Mowden brought in Chris Strong at centre and switched Gareth Kerr to the wing, but he also went off just before half-time with a recurrence of a groin injury.

This forced them to switch flanker Jonny Boatman to the wing and bring on Tim Wilks, who showed he has lost none of his combative instincts during his two years of back-packing round the world.

Mowden went ahead after three minutes when Holborough broke away up the blind side from a scrum and found flanker Tony Irwin in support. The ball was moved left and Boatman appeared at centre to take the scoring pass from Martyn Bray.

Ten minutes of Dudley pressure were rewarded by an Eddie Smith penalty, but Mowden put together some good passages of play towards the end of the half.

Slick handling going left then right took play into the 22, where Irwin made further progress before Iain Dixon landed a penalty.

The restart failed to go ten metres and Mowden seized the chance to attack again with Dixon hitting the target to make it 11-3.

Dudley hit a post with a penalty just before half-time, but it would have been an injustice had the ball gone over as the award was for what looked like a piece of legitimate robbery.

Eni Gisende went on at lock for Dye and it was from his line-out possession that Mowden set up a maul and Holborough again darted away on the blind side to score after 55 minutes.

He used his side-step to beat the full back and go round behind the posts for Dixon to convert.

Dudley did not give up and when Mowden kicked a penalty to the corner the visitors pinched the ball and drove their hosts back to the 22.

But when Mowden won a line-out in the same corner with five minutes left hooker Tasi Tuhana rolled off the maul and popped the ball up for Holborough to score.

The final drama saw Dudley run a penalty 15 metres from the Mowden posts, only for Gisende to intercept and run 60 metres like a giraffe in full flight.

He would clearly be an outstanding prospect if he could add the necessary beef for the top level.

Result: Darlington Mowden Park 23 Dundley Kingswinford 3.