Darlington: Darlington Under-14s performed well to notch up their third consecutive win of the season, this time against West Hartlepool.
From the kick-off Darlington secured good ball and quickly moved it left with David McFall making a strong run at centre before a timely pass set Jordan Riley up for a long run in to the left corner. Rory Clegg converted well.
It was possible that this early run had caught the visitors napping at the start of the game but they certainly got a wake-up call when David McFall made a strong run moments later, this time up the right, and sweetly wrong footed the full back to pass him and score the first of his four tries of the day. He got his second shortly after when scrum-half Paul Smith was presented with quick ball following good work by the Darlington forwards. Fly-half Rory Clegg kept the ball moving passing 15 metres to centre David McFall, who made no mistake from 10 metres out.
Darlington's fourth try was made by a solid run by Scott Starling following a penalty 10 metres in to the West half, this drew players in and allowed left wing Jordan Riley the chance to make it once again to the corner. From the re-start prop Jack Stapleton caught well and was supported by the pack allowing good presentation for the scrum-half to once again give quality ball to his backs. Passing it smoothly down the line for Jordan Riley to penetrate the West defence, the earlier favour was returned when, this time, Riley put in a timely pass to set up David McFall's with his third try.
With half-time approaching Paul Smith made a darting run to score and Rory Clegg finished with a fine conversion.
A stirring team talk from the West coach brought out their best period of play. Whenever the ball came out to the backs the Darlington defence were up on them quickly and forced West into errors. David McFall's final try came following some very good handling between himself and Rory Clegg who supported each other for 30 m up the right wing before McFall took his chance. Jordan Riley took his tally to three when he found himself un supported on the halfway line but West couldn't stop his long run. The final try of the match came when a loose ball was hacked on bouncing invitingly towards the posts, David McFall chasing down the full back. Beaten to the ball the West full back secured and was rightly allowed to get to his feet before McFall's tackle knocked the ball from his hands and the determined Matt Hall was on hand to pick up and dive over.
With a final score of 53-0 Darlington were every bit as impressive as the score suggests.
Mowden Park
DMP 64, Guisborough 15
Abright and sunny day at Yiewsley Drive, was matched by the rugby of the triumphant Mowden Park Under-14 squad, as Guisborough provided the Sunday morning opposition. The first minute set the tone for the remainder of the game, when from the Guisborough kick-off, the ball quickly moved through the forwards to Centre, Josh Hardy.
Taking the ball in his own half, and marking his return to the team with a strong run through the Guisborough backs, avoiding half-a-dozen tackles, and touching down under the posts for Mowden's first five points of the day. The try was quickly followed by a typical mazy run from James Park, as he weaved his way up and down the touchline, before crossing for the second try, and all within the first five minutes.
Park soon added his second try of the match when he took a short pass from Lewis Carruthers, sidestepping a number of tackles and touching down between the posts.
The first period saw an additional three tries by the now rampant Mowden team, the pick being a bludgeoning run from half-way by Prop, Simon Price, ending with Price notching his first try in Mowden colours.
Guisborough hit back with a breakaway try from Danny Carter, and with Daniel Wilson converting three of Mowdens six tries, the half time score read. A 'constructive' half time talk by both coaches, followed by some questionable refereeing decisions, concluded in a fiercely contested second period.
However, as in the first half, Josh Hardy, immediately broke from his own five metre line, taking the ball at pace, to score one of the best tries seen at Yiewsley Drive for many a year. 5 minutes into the half, and the crowd erupted, when Liam Warne, following another strong run from James Park, touched down, for his first ever try for Mowden Park.
Immediately from the kick-off the leggy Park, completed his hat-trick, with another of those renowned mazy runs, beating the majority of his opponents on the way. Mowden's tackling became complacent, and they were punished, with Guisborough scoring two tries in quick succession, and reducing the defecit. However, Mowden, finished the stronger with Simon Price again forcing his way over for Mowden's tenth try of the game. With Wilson converting four of the second half tries.
Mowden U-17s
Sunderland Under-17s fielded a big team including five 18-year-olds. They came out to make an impact, with two injuries to Mowden Park players in the first two minutes, the second condemning Danny Allsop to the sidelines for the rest of the match.
Once Mowden had ridden out this storm, they began to put the stamp of their superior team play and possession rugby on the match. Lock Chris Dodd started a move with one of his powerful, jinxing runs to within 11 metres of the Sunderland line, and captain Richard Littlefair forced over from the ensuing penalty. Fly-Half Mark Zissler scored the conversion to begin a fine day with the boot. From this point, Mowden Park increasingly exerted control, and on the half hour, Chris Dodd broke from the rear of the scrum. The ball was moved along the line to centre Adam Hunt, and no one could prevent him from scoring under the posts. Three minutes later, he again collected the ball on the half way line and his speed saw him safely across under the posts again.
Mark Zissler soon added to the half-time score of 21-0 with a penalty goal from just outside the twenty-two. Sunderland scored a goal near the posts, and in immediate reply, Mowden used their consistent superiority at the line-out to feed a fine three-quarters move right across the pitch with fullback Andrew Woodend diving across in the corner. The coup de grace came from fine forward backup to a long kick through which soon had the Sunderland fullback in trouble, and flanker Richard Parks ran over for the final try of the match, which Mowden Park deserved to win by four goals, a try and a penalty goal to one goal.
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