Darlington began the countdown to a promotion play-off by coasting to the first of the eight wins they are likely to need.

In two games against West Hartlepool in North Division One they have scored 90 points without reply, helping them to build what could prove a crucial points difference advantage.

Macclesfield's shock 42-7 win against leaders Cleckheaton underlined that the battle between the top four is likely to go to the wire.

Third-placed Chester are now free to concentrate on the league after losing their Powergen Intermediate Cup quarter-final 23-16 at Hertford, but they still have to visit Cleckheaton.

Darlington will hope to improve on this showing against a side who confirmed the continuation of their depressing demise.

The West forwards did not deserve to be on the receiving end of such a drubbing, but for all the experience of David Tighe, John Stabler and Jamie Connolly the real difference lay in the backs.

Stabler says he is quitting his coaching role at the end of the season and it was sad to see the fly half still having to turn out at 40 for the club he served so well at the top level.

At least he managed to keep the lid on his side's discipline better than in the clash at Blackwell Meadows, with only flanker Stuart Bennett being sin-binned.

Tim Sawyer might have joined him for trying to pick a fight with Del Lewis, and in both meetings Sawyer has given the impression that he is allowing macho tendencies to override his talent. He probably needs to play for a better team.

There was a lot of feeble tackling from West, particularly out wide, where Mark Butler ran through them virtually at will.

If Darlington are promoted one improvement they will have to make is in their goal-kicking. Full back Kieron Thompson opened the scoring with a ninth minute penalty, but missed two other simple ones and converted only two of the seven tries.

The first came after 25 minutes when scrum half David Andrew nipped down the narrow side to score from a scrum on the 22, then the ball was moved along the backs for Butler to beat two men and touch down.

Just before half-time Paul Beattie came off his wing on an angled run to take an inside pass from Paul Lee and shrug off two tackles on a 20-metre run to the line.

It remained 20-0 until 15 minutes after the break, when Andrew and Butler probed the narrow side and improving lock Matt Dilworth finished off the move.

West ran two penalties near the line just prior to Bennett being yellow-carded and five minutes later replacement centre Tosh McIntee burst through weak tackling to score from 25 metres.

With the match entering injury time prop Dan Miller and Butler both drove deep into the West defence before Miller picked up and surged over the line.

From the restart Lewis broke up the middle and the ball was moved right with Paul Lee's well-timed pass giving Butler the space to brush off two tacklers for his second try.

Result: West Hartlepool 0 Darlington 42.