WHILE Blaydon moved up to third in National Three North, Mowden Park slipped to fifth from the bottom and suffered three injuries.

The most serious saw their only experienced lock, Iain Robinson, stretchered off after 20 minutes with a bad ankle injury.

They also lost French centre Roddy Gouionnet shortly after half-time with concussion and speedy winger Michael Breen with damaged knee ligaments.

As Blaydon have locks to spare at least one of them can expect a call from the club's former Director of Rugby Andy Howells, who could have a bigger part to play at Mowden following the resignation of head coach Martin Pepper.

The only consolations on a bad day for Mowden were that Chris Birch, signed from Gateshead Thunder, looked lively when he went on as a replacement and the four teams below them lost. Heavy home defeats confirmed the impression that Kendal and New Brighton are likely to go down.

In the first of these sides' four meetings this season, Blaydon scraped through 25-21 at home in the Powergen National Trophy and the expectation of another tough battle saw them do just enough to win.

A try early in each half, plus a conversion and penalty by Dan Clappison, proved sufficient for Blaydon in a game which matched the grim conditions.

In such circumstances it was good to see winger Mike Sutherland, a 28-year-old teacher from Jamaica, playing with a smile on his face, enjoying some banter and clearly relishing his first full game for Blaydon.

They have a powerful pair of centres in Martin Shaw and Sua Segi, while one of the few highlights for Mowden was an electrifying break by new fly half Johann Booysen, which might herald greater things once he settles in. He also put in some useful touch kicks.

Blaydon's fierce tackling repeatedly knocked their hosts back, but while they generally had the edge up front their line-out failed to function. It was from a line-out, however, that they took the lead after five minutes. They set up a ruck and when the ball came back Sua Segi came back inside on a pass from fly half Clappison and barged through several tackles to score.

Booysen landed a penalty three minutes later but when Mowden dropped the ball in the centre Shaw counter-attacked strongly.

His 40-metre run took him to within 15 metres of the posts, but Blaydon were penalised for diving in at the breakdown.

Both sides missed a penalty before Robinson almost put Mowden ahead when he intercepted an inside pass from Clappison on halfway and stormed towards the right corner.

He was stopped five metres short but after almost enjoying a moment of glory he departed in obvious pain shortly afterwards.

Mowden had to switch flanker Junior Fagalilo to lock with ex-Blaydon man Gavin Stainsby going on in the back row.

This led Blaydon to believe they could dominate up front and when awarded a penalty five metres out they opted for a scrum, which had to be re-set four times.

Shortly afterwards Clappison kicked a penalty from under the posts, but Booysen replied from 30 metres just before half-time and Mowden had done well to keep the deficit to two points.

They fell further behind straight after the break when Blaydon's speedy full back Michael Campbell counter-attacked strongly from just inside his own half.

He shrugged off the first tackle and raced to the left corner, where the ball was quickly recycled and Shaw sent flanker Andy Wright over by the posts.

The conversion completed the scoring with Blaydon happy to hang on when they lost flanker Pat Segi to the sin-bin midway through the second half for preventing a penalty being taken quickly.

Mowden sent on Peni Fakalelu, who has been selected to join the Tongan national squad, for prop Dave Sinclair. But when Booysen joined the casualties late in the game Sinclair had go back on at lock in a big reshuffle as Fosita Tanginoa, who had done well at the line-out, was shunted out to the wing as he too was limping.

It was one of those days for Mowden and they will be grateful that their fixture list now becomes a little easier, although their Bonfire Night trip to Fylde has been postponed until February 4.

That was the day they were supposed to entertain Blaydon in the Durham Cup.

Result: Darlington Mowden Park 6, Blaydon 15.