Mowden hang on for win

THE return of two Barnard Castle School products helped Mowden Park to a vital victory which they hope will kickstart their recovery.

While it was ex-Richmond School prop Dan Miller who finished off two tries, twinkletoed centre Adam McKenzie and flying flanker Richard Ellis set the tone.

There were also two tries for full back Gavin Painter as Mowden raced into a 23-0 lead, but they needed McKenzie’s scintillating breaks to stem Halifax’s fightback.

Even at the end Mowden still contrived to make heavy weather of nailing down their second win of the season.

While the first was against National Three North leaders Caldy, this one was against the only team below them, who picked up their first bonus points.

The build-up did not go well for Mowden as their hopes of introducing two New Zealanders were scuppered by the Auckland Blues Academy management saying they did not want their boys playing two games a week. They will have to wait for a break from their Northumbria University duties before turning out for Mowden.

Not that it looked likely to matter against a Halifax side who arrived with only two points from a home draw.

They included several follically- challenged players almost indistinguishable from the short, stocky referee.

Mowden’s pace and handling seemed to have settled the outcome within 30 minutes, but in 15 minutes either side of half-time Halifax got the gap down to 23-17.

McKenzie’s breaks allowed Mowden to forge ahead again, but two converted tries left Halifax with five minutes to find one more to level the scores and they were pressing strongly at the end.

A good service from scrum half Martyn Lithgo allowed fly half Jon Benson to set up the first try, his long, delayed pass putting Painter through a gap before the full back exchanged passes with winger Gavin Clegg to squeeze over in the left corner.

Then another long Benson pass found Ellis wide on the left, and his acceleration past the first tackler meant he could afford to ignore Clegg outside him as he stepped inside the full back on his 60- metre gallop to the line.

Two penalties by Benson made it 16-0, then he converted another try by Painter, who received the ball 40 metres out on the left wing, chipped inside and beat a flat-footed defence to re-gather and go under the posts.

The Halifax pack drove over just before half-time and their lively start to the second half was rewarded with another forwards try. Both were converted and when the kicker followed up with an excellent penalty Mowden had to respond.

McKenzie twice made breaks up the left, resulting in Miller’s tries. For the first the prop had a clear run in and for the second he featured at the start of the move with an excellent pass then stayed in support and was on hand to drive over when McKenzie was stopped just short.

With Benson adding a conversion and a penalty following a high tackle on McKenzie it looked all over, but penalties to touch brought the visitors’ last two tries.

When their first attempt at a catch-and-drive was thwarted they moved the ball out and a centre danced through the middle. The second time the forwards had all but reached the line when a Mowden player went in from the side and a penalty try was awarded.