PACE in the backs proved decisive as the home teams won the region’s two derby matches on Saturday.

Tynedale beat Blaydon 34- 25 in a gripping National One clash with full back Chris Harris scoring the late clinching try and having hand in two others, while centre Anth Hyndman bagged a brace in Billingham’s 33-13 win against Middlesbrough.

Blaydon had to do without their dual-registered Newcastle Falcons players, but Tynedale were able to field lock Richard Boyle and young fly half Joel Hodgson, who showed his class.

Blaydon had the worst of the elements, playing into the first half rain, but the decisive period came after they trailed 17-11 just after the interval.

They dropped four high kicks and two tries resulted for Boyle and centre Jack Harrison, stretching the lead to 29-11.

Blaydon sent on Shaun English for Gavin Jones in the second row and Matt Clarke made a big contribution when he went on at centre.

English finished off a series of drives, Andrew Baggett converting, then more forward pressure ended with Tynedale pulling down a maul and conceding a penalty try.

With the gap down to four points with two minutes left Tynedale ran the ball from a line-out in their own half and went through 15 phases before Harris scored in the corner.

Early in the game Baggett and Hodgson exchanged penalties before home flanker Grant Beasley broke three tackles to score.

Then Harris sent scrum half Matthew Outson over, Hodgson again converting, but Blaydon hit back with a good move from their own half, finished off by winger Simon Barber.

They would have fancied their chances of overturning the 17-8 interval deficit, especially when Baggett landed a well-struck penalty.

But their inability to deal with the high ball proved costly.

Billingham’s backs tore Boro apart, despite the visitors more than holding their own up front.

Boro took the lead through a penalty by Simon Moore, but it was a sign of what was to come when Anth Hyndman waltzed through for his first try.

Winger Craig Shepherd added a second before halftime, then from broken play in their own half Billingham again raced away for full back Peter Evans to touch down and add his third conversion.

Boro’s scrum half Peter Wright scored from a quickly-taken penalty before Billingham went back on the rampage and Hyndman grabbed his second.

Boro had to take off their flagging skipper, Richie Barker, with 20 minutes left but his second row partner Lee Theakston showed up well and barged over for a try.

Just before the end playercoach Chris Hyndman completed the scoring with Billingham’s fifth try.

Darlington Mowden Park hung on for a 17-15 win at Sandal in National Three North, despite getting on the wrong side of a referee who awarded 15 penalties against them in the second half, compared with three for the hosts.

Sandal had three late shots at goal but missed them all, allowing Mowden a deserved win with flanker Liam Riley showing up well on his 18th birthday, while another 18- year-old, lock Pierce Phillips, scored the first try after five minutes.

He finished off a good handling move and Mowden were well on top, playing downhill with the wind.

A handling mistake allowed Sandal to counter attack for a try, but then winger Martyn Lithgo fielded a clearance in his own half and broke down the middle.

He was supported by full back Cameron Mitchell, who danced through several tackles to score.

Grant Connan’s conversion made it 12-5 at half-time and a midfield stalemate ensued for 15 minutes before good handling and support play by Mowden was finished off by prop Ralph Appleby, who went on at half-time for Danny Dixon.

Mowden thought the conversion had gone over, but it was decided that it hadn’t and decisions continued to go against them.

A loose kick allowed a home centre to run the ball back and he cut through before off-loading for a try under the posts.

The conversion, followed by a penalty from halfway, cut the gap to two points with 15 minutes left.

But Mowden showed a lot of character to hold out, helped by the failure of all remaining penalty attempts.

All the points came from the Foreman brothers with Gareth’s try seven minutes from time clinching an 18-17 home win for West Hartlepool against Rossendale.

Scrum half Andrew crossed twice in the first half, first racing away from a scrum inside his own half then forcing his way over from close range when the visitors had a man in the sin bin.

But Rossendale scored twice in quick succession after the interval to lead for most of the second half and might have won had they not opted to go for the corner when presented with a kickable late penalty.

West’s 10-3 interval lead quickly became a 17-10 deficit but they defended stoutly and Gareth Foreman kicked a penalty with 14 minutes left.

Then came his matchwinning try when he darted through a gap from the base of a ruck.

Westoe are top of National Two North with three wins out of three after beating Harrogate 29-10, despite the absence of five key men, including goal-kickers Mark Bedworth and David Haswell.

No 8 Oliver Stedman took on the duties and landed two touchline conversions as well as a simpler one and a penalty.

Centre Tommy Banks scored two tries and the others came from wingers Gareth Kerr and Daniel Rundle.

Scrum half Mark Baldwin scored a hat-trick in Darlington’s 53-12 win at Guisborough, where four tries in the first 20 minutes helped to build a 36-5 interval lead.

The first came from new centre Connor O’Leary, a former Ireland Under 21 player who is working at Glaxo.

Further first half tries came from Baldwin, his half back partner Jack Neville, wingers David Mackfall and Connor Esler, and full back Henry Carver, who added three conversions.

The sin-binning of Mackfaul and lock Chris Oakley upset Darlington’s rhythm and Guisborough were awarded a penalty try while Oakley was off.

Baldwin added two more tries and the final one came from back row replacement Matt Sowerby.

Stockton, who visit Darlington in two weeks, also made it two out of two in D and N One but were unhappy with the performance in a 37-26 win against Ryton.

Poor defence allowed the Tynesiders to score their third converted try on the stroke of half-time for a 21-19 lead.

But after prop Mark Conway, fly half Jeremy Good and full back Dan Phinn touched down in the first half, Stockton pulled away through further tries by winger Simon Crozier and No 8 Scott Powell.

Good added three conversions and a penalty for a 34-21 lead and added another penalty after Ryton scored with five minutes left.