DARLINGTON Mowden Park slipped further out of contention in the National Division Three North promotion race when they lost 48-19 at Scunthorpe.

The watertight defence which was a feature of their play as they won their first four matches has vanished since Anthony Elwine departed and they conceded seven tries.

It was the third setback in their last six matches and the heaviest league defeat for several years.

Mowden were the better team for much of the game, but in drizzly conditions they paid dearly for their frequent handling errors.

They also missed unavailable lock Steve Sanderson as the Scunthorpe pack showed the greater will to win.

Tim Wilks did well at open side and Mick Kent had a good game at centre, but it was only after Jonny Golightly switched from scrum half to partner Kent that Mowden got into the game.

Rapidly-improving Scunthorpe made it six wins from the last seven as four converted tries put them 28-0 up shortly after half-time, and they pulled away again with three tries in the last ten minutes.

Helped by two tries from Golightly, Mowden had the gap down to nine points with 20 minutes left. But Scunthorpe landed a drop goal against the run of play and when they broke away again to score some Mowden heads went down.

The scoreline was not a true reflection, but the signs were ominous as Mowden went 14-0 in the first ten minutes. They then dominated the rest of the first half, only for three very good chances to go begging because of mishandling.

On the stroke of half-time Scunthorpe pounced on another knock-on, kicked to touch and scored from the line-out.

When they broke away to score again on the resumption it was becoming a nightmare for Mowden, but things improved when Richard Woollam went on at scrum half and Golightly switched to replace Mark Bedworth.

Mowden's first try after 45 minutes came from James Isaacson, the prop who is on loan from Newcastle Falcons. He burrowed over following good rucking by the forwards.

Then Golightly twice went straight through the middle to score and two conversions by Kevan Oliphant made it 28-19.

But the drop goal ended the fightback and those three late tries left Mowden grateful that they entertain bottom club West Hartlepool next Saturday.

West look doomed to a fourth successive relegation after losing 28-21 at home to Sandal, the team just above them.

West led 21-18 with ten minutes left but Sandal skipper Mark Wolff went over for his team's third try to leave West three points adrift at the bottom and wondering where their next win is coming from.

They will need to get something out of their four successive home games next month, otherwise they can wave goodbye to national league rugby.

West led three times, first through a Michael Walton penalty then from a try by back row man Tim Sawyer.

Walton converted and added a penalty, but a 13-7 lead became a 15-13 half-time deficit and after a further exchange of penalties Jamie Connolly squeezed over to put West ahead.

But there was a Wolff at the door, just as there has been for the last four years.

Tynedale again proved they can compete with the top sides, but just as in their defeat at Mowden they paid for their indiscipline at Doncaster.

They had three players sin-binned and lost 40-13 after controlling much of the game. Doncaster scored two tries late in the first half when visiting flanker Andrew Murray was off and three more in the final quarter when scrum half Ed Holmes and lock Steve Turnbull had been yellow carded.

On his Tynedale debut, fly half Phil Belgian kicked a penalty from near halfway and converted a Holmes try from the touchline.

There was also a yellow card for Blaydon skipper Dave Guthrie as they surprisingly lost 10-3 at home to Nuneaton, who are just below them in mid-table.

He was harshly sin-binned for trying to ruck out a player who was preventing release with Blaydon threatening to score.

Attack turned to defence as Blaydon hung on for a 0-0 scoreline at half-time, then a James Lofthouse penalty put them ahead.

But he missed with three other attempts, while scrum half Andy Foreman was twice held up over the line.

The Blaydon pack were outgunned in the last 20 minutes and Nuneaton scored two tries.

Four penalties by full back Dave Turner gave Stockton a 12-0 win in the derby friendly at Middlesbrough.

The game featured the three Poole brothers with Nicky and Danny opposing each other at scrum half, while Danny was joined in the Boro team by younger brother Malcolm on the wing.