Setback for Park with Boro defeat

With four of their pack unavailable, Darlington lost 27-16 against Morpeth, who began the match third from the bottom of North One East.

The result leaves Darlington still needing a couple of wins to ensure safety, and home games against Percy Park next week and Carlisle the following Saturday offer the best chances. The other three games are tough away matches, starting with tomorrow’s trip to Old Crossleyans.

Mowden Park went into their game against Middlesbrough with coach Pete Taylor hoping to win at least five of the last six matches and climb into fourth place in National Three North.

However, they look destined to continue to hover around ninth after losing 19-18 to a Boro side who ought to have been buried by half-time.

Such was their domination in the first 20 minutes, it was almost impossible to imagine how Mowden found themselves trailing 10-8 at half-time. It became 19-8 before they fought back, but the late conversion from wide on the left, which could have clinched victory, was pulled wide.

Mowden visit title challengers Morley tomorrow and Taylor plans to blood a few players in the last few games as he plans for next season. Army winger Ben Seru left for Afghanistan this week and Mowden failed to give him a good send-off as they were unable to exploit the pace they possess on the wings and at full back.

Although they won the trycount 3-1, all the tries in the match came from close range as a result of forward pressure, which was a shame for the fans as conditions were ideal for running rugby.

The way Middlesbrough’s scrum was beginning to creak midway through the first half, it seemed Mowden must win by at least 20 points. But they crucially failed to capitalise when Boro’s talisman, hooker Richard Horton, was in the sin-bin and on his return the visitors scored a converted try just before half-time.

Suddenly realising they could win, their forwards came out with much greater belief in the second half and dominated through driving mauls for 20 minutes. They were rewarded by three penalties and what had threatened to be a heavy defeat looked like a certain victory.

The game turned again as Mowden took off their old heads, coaches Taylor and John Newton, and found some fresh vigour from the younger legs of Todd Harrison and Andrew Tonkin. Boro did the opposite and almost paid the price. Their coaches, former Darlington duo Martin Howe and Paul Lee, went on in an effort to nail down the game in the last 15 minutes.

But they were under pressure for most of that time and among the many things Mowden were left to ponder was the wisdom of handing the kicking duties to replacement scrum half Harrison.

He had taken over from fly half Richie Young, who had a day he would wish to forget but might have relished the chance to make amends with the final conversion. He would surely have struck it better than Harrison.

It had been all Mowden at the start and they put together 12 phases before No 8 Dan Squire plunged over in the right corner.

But a simple penalty by Young was their only addition to the score until the last 15 minutes.

Tonkin almost reached the posts before the ball was moved right for Robin Eatough to send flanker Cameron Pearson over in the corner.

With Mowden pressing again four minutes from time, Horton prevented them from taking a quick penalty five metres out and was again sin-binned, although the referee failed to brandish the automatic red card. Mowden kept the pressure on and hooker Howie Murray finally finished off a line-out drive, but with only a minute left the failed conversion left insufficient time to clinch victory.

Mowden were generally on the wrong end of some tight forward pass decisions, and too many line-out throws were also deemed off line.

Darlington were without Joe Hargreaves, Steve Taylor, Tom Lawson and Andy Hodgkins from the previous week’s pack, so coach Lee Richardson, normally a back, decided to play at blind side. Of the other three replacements, Michael Tucker did very well at prop, but Darlington never provided good enough ball for their backs to use.

Poor tackling allowed Morpeth to score their first two tries either side of winger Danny Anderson finishing a good move which started with a series of pick-and-drives from the home forwards. Nick Baldwin kicked a penalty to reduce the gap to 10- 8 at half-time, but Darlington had failed to use the wind and after a further exchange of penalties they fell further behind.

After a chip ahead, Morpeth capitalised on a good bounce to score a converted try, but lock Bill Smith barrelled over with five minutes left to give Darlington hope. They paid for ill discipline, however, as they were twice penalised for backchat and Morpeth ran in a converted try.

Northallerton remain in danger of relegation after losing 22- 15 at Aireborough, where they were not helped by the late cryoff of three players.

The seconds managed to organise a short notice fixture at home to Thirsk and beat them for the third time this season.

Northallerton thirds hosted Richmondshire and were eager to reverse an early season defeat.

But they lost 22-0 and the only noteworthy highlight came when the wife of a home player marched on to the field to calm her husband down when he was involved in a minor off-the-ball fracas.

Northallerton Veterans XV lost 29-17 to Norton Pirates in the season’s first over-35s fixture.

● Former Barnard Castle School pair, Rory Clegg and Tom Catterick, were in the England team which beat Scotland 27-6 in the Under 20 RBS Six Nations contest at Firhill. Fly half Clegg, now with Harlequins, kicked two penalties.

Meanwhile, Darlington Mowden Sharks winger Jenny Edwards showed great speed to score the fourth try as England A beat the Nomads 26-7 at Esher. Mowden centre Georgina Roberts was also in the team.

In the women’s Six Nations Championship, Mowden fly half Katy McLean kicked two conversions as she skippered England to a 51-0 win against Scotland in Edinburgh. Clubmate Tamara Taylor was at No 8 and both retain their places for tonight’s Grand Slam decider against France in Rennes.