Darlington Mowden Park 32 Coventry 25

A THRILLING win, a cracking game, a crowd of 1,015 – it all added up to the perfect start for what should be a tumultuous week for Mowden Park.

It continued yesterday with flanker Joe Craggs, son of former club skipper Andy Craggs, in the England Under 18 team against Scotland at Newcastle's Kingston Park and will culminate with Friday night's international double header at The Northern Echo Arena.

“I never thought I'd see the day when we beat Coventry,” said chairman Mike Keeligan. “Now I'd like to see 10,000 here on Friday. We want to give the council confidence that we can handle big crowds.”

Among the visiting club officials was Peter Rossborough, who played full back for England while still at Durham University in 1971. He was one of many internationals produced by the Midlands giants and the recent signing of former All Black Scott Hamilton suggests they are continuing to make a big effort to recapture their glory days.

Against feisty opponents, however, they were unable to capitalise on scrum dominance, partly because in a magnificent team effort Mowden also boasted the game's outstanding individual in Grant Connon.

The fly half collected 22 points from two tries, two penalties and three conversions and his electrifying break from deep in his own half also set up the try of the match for winger Tom Kill.

It was a shame that a contest played with controlled passion should boil over just before the end, prompting the red mist to descend on Mowden lock Ben Gledhill. His flurry of punches earned a red card and there was also a yellow for each side.

The dust-up was sparked by Mowden full back Henry Robinson receiving man and ball at the same time. His reaction saw him become the second home player sent to the sin bin following hooker Henry Maddison's breather, during which Coventry wiped out a 12-point deficit to draw level at 25-25.

Mowden were under the cosh at that point and might have fallen behind when speedy former Westoe and Tynedale winger Dan Rundle showed good finishing skills, only to be brought back for a forward pass.

It looked a harsh call, but so did a few which went against Mowden and they did remarkably well to rouse themselves for the winning, bonus-point try.

It was scored by Connon, as was the first, and both owed much to his pace off the mark.

Mowden began by collecting the kick-off and driving a maul 20 metres. It was not something they were able to repeat but it set the platform for a try after two minutes. They moved the ball right and when Garry Law passed back inside it went to ground ten metres out but was hacked over the line for Connon to win the race.

Coventry came back with a penalty and a catch-and-drive try, which was converted for a 10-7 lead. But Mowden went back in front after 23 minutes when Kill burst down the middle and the ball was moved left for Gledhill to score in the corner.

Penalties were exchanged and just before half-time Connon added another from 35 metres for an 18-13 lead.

On the resumption Coventry's abrasive left winger made inroads, only to give the ball away and when Mowden slipped it to Connon he shot up the middle and passed to Robinson, who sent Kill over.

Coventy scored a pushover try after Maddison earned his yellow card in trying to halt a catch-and-drive, then they ran back the restart, kicked another penalty to the corner and scored from the driving maul.

The visitors now looked favourites but after being pinned back by an excellent Connon kick they again tried to run out of their 22 and lost the ball. When it came back to Connon he dummied through a barely existent gap to go under the posts.

There were still 18 minutes to go and when he missed a 30-metre penalty it looked like being costly. But Coventry lost a man to the sin bin for a high tackle on Cameron Mitchell and Gledhill's red card came too late to prevent Mowden hanging on. There was much jubilation at the end.