PROMOTION was virtually handed to Darlington when Cleckheaton's implosion continued with a 38-24 home defeat by Chester.

Following their 47-17 win at home to Huddersfield, Darlington need now win only one of their two remaining games to finish top of North One.

The division's leading try scorer, winger Paul Beattie, followed his six against Sandal with a hat-trick to take his tally to 26.

There were also tries for Del Lewis, Dan Osleton, Rob Goddard and David Andrew, with Kieron Thompson adding two penalties and three conversions.

Darlington looked a little jittery as they conceded an early penalty. But Lewis settled the nerves when he broke the defensive line 22 metres out and after looking for support realised he could make the line with a diagonal run.

Huddersfield edged ahead with a second penalty from wide out, but then Beattie scored twice in two minutes. For the first Mark Butler made 20 metres down the middle, Craig Lee chipped into the corner and Beattie got there first.

Then, after a side-stepping run from Lewis, Beattie outpaced the defence and ran round under the posts.

Huddersfield kicked two further penalties during a period of pressure to make it 17-12 before Thompson landed one of his two attempts late in the first half.

There was a further scare for Darlington when Rob Stewart had to race back to put in a try-saving tackle.

But they dominated the second half, scoring after three minutes when the forwards drove from a line-out on the 22. Beattie, sensing an opportunity to add to his tally, joined the maul but it was hooker Osleton who claimed the score.

Beattie completed his hat-trick when Huddersfield attempted to run the ball from inside their own 22. A dropped pass fell at the feet of the winger, who kicked on, collected and ran in under the posts.

After a Thompson penalty made it 35-12 Stewart was replaced by Andrew, who broke to set up flanker Goddard for a try.

Andrew then scored himself following a line-out on the 22. The forwards got into position to maul, but moved the ball quickly to the scrum half, who sprinted in almost unnoticed down the narrow side.

Huddersfield scored almost on full time and had provided stronger opposition than expected, which might not bode well for West Hartlepool.

West have to win their final game at Huddersfield in two weeks to stay out of the bottom two after leapfrogging them with a 37-13 home win against Sandal.

Paul Rudd, voted Player of the Year by the supporters, set up the first of the five tries for Andrew Davies, while 18-year-old full back Tom Rance raced in for the second.

John Stabler, who kicked a penalty early in each half and added three conversions, dummied under the posts to make it 22-8 at half-time.

In a scrappy second half Tim Sawyer set up a try for Brett Cullinane and Gareth Kerr, on release from the Newcastle Academy, showed his class with a try at the death.

Blaydon ended a run of five defeats when they came back from 17-3 down with 12 minutes left to win 29-27 at home to Hull Ionians in National Three North.

They still need another win to be safe and have to play Halifax at home followed by Tynedale and bottom club Scunthorpe away.

Australian Tom McLaren was the inspiration, bullocking over for the first try before fellow back row man Ricky Begier also scored and Sean Hannah's second conversion made it 17-17.

But Hull hit straight back with a converted try before winger Nathan Ridd, who had just come off the bench, again levelled the scores.

The match was in injury time when Nick Cooper landed a penalty from halfway for Hull, but from the restart Blaydon applied pressure and fly half Nick Gandy tried a drop goal.

It flicked a Hull hand on its way over the line, resulting in a five-metre scrum, from which scrum half Mick Dungait put Gandy over for the winning try.

Middlesbrough threw away the chance to beat North Two East leaders Bradford and Bingley after leading 29-10 with ten minutes left.

It had been an excellent performance but the visitors changed their fly half, ran everything and scored three converted tries to win 31-29.

They also scored ten points in the first ten minutes before Boro resisted further pressure then got on top with the first of two tries for veteran No 8 Jim Chapman.

Flanker Mark Hatfield also scored when the visitors made a hash of controlling their own scrum ball and two conversions by Mark Foster had Boro 19-10 up at the break.

They scored another try from a line-out through prop Chris Horton and looked out of sight when flanker Gavin Fingland supported well in open play and charged through. But in the end the missed conversions proved crucial.

Stockton also gave the other promotion contenders, Sheffield, a fright before losing 30-24 at home.

It was a tremendous effort by Stockton, who won the try-count 4-3 but missed five penalties.

They kicked off long and when Sheffield failed to touch the ball down over the line winger Pedro Salahshouri raced up for the first of his two tries.

Stockton trailed 13-7 at half-time, then prop Gary Skirving scored before Sheffield pulled away to lead 30-12.

Then Stockton scored two tries in two minutes through wingers Simon Crozier and Salahshouri and stayed on top without further reward.

Horden remain fifth after Andrew Turner kicked his sixth penalty at the death to snatch an 18-15 win at Alnwick