BLAYDON eased their relegation worries in National One with a 27-13 win at Wharfedale and can move up a place by winning at home to Loughborough this week.

They will again hope to have their four Newcastle Falcons men available as Will Witty and Callum Chick made a difference up front, while Brett Connon kicked five penalties.

Although they often ran the ball, it rarely went in the direction of Zach Kibirige, who has seen little action for a season and a half.

The match was a complete turnaround from Blaydon's home hammering by Wharfedale in September, when the visitors had four Yorkshire Carnegie players available.

Their lack of depth has put their long tenure at this level in grave danger and the kicking of their former Blaydon fly half, Jamie Guy, did not compare with Connon's.

His only miss was in failing to convert the second of the two tries, a catch-and-drive which gave Jason Smithson his tenth of the season just before half-time.

The first was scored by England Under 20 lock Witty, who finished a move which began on halfway by taking a penetrating line to burst between the centres.

Trailing 21-8, Wharfedale tried to fight back after the interval, but Blaydon succeeded in disrupting their line-out and the hosts' only reward came when dangerous winger Dan Tai collected an accurate cross-kick.

Despite scoring the only try of the game at Kingston Park, Tynedale lost 15-13 to National Two North's third-placed club, Sedgley Park.

Winger Dan Marshall followed up a kick to score the try after 20 minutes, converted by Ash Smith, who added a penalty for a 10-9 lead.

But it was 15-10 at the break and Smith's second penalty provided the only points of the second half, during which veteran flanker Jamie Murray and a visiting prop were sent off following a flare-up.

A penalty in each half by Peter Evans was all Billingham had to show in a 12-6 defeat at Hull in Three North.

West Hartlepool scored in the first minute and two minutes from time in a 10-5 home win against hard-working Guisborough in North One East.

The first try came after the visitors allowed the kick-off to bounce and were pressured into conceding a five-metre scrum. Ryan Painter found Stu Waites on the short side and the full back forced his way over.

Guisborough drew level when they used turnover ball to send winger Alex Russ over but with all kicks failing on the heavy pitch they were out of luck when a late effort by Christian Pollock fell just short.

West thought they had scored when Michael Hogan got over, but the clincher came when they created an overlap and good handling gave 17-year-old winger Joe Willis the chance to seal victory.

Middlesbrough had to play on their second team pitch against Ponteland but cruised to a 45-9 win to move level at the top of Durham and Northumberland One with Durham City, whose game was postponed.

Boro went ahead in the second minute when half backs Conner Foley and Sam Gaudie combined well for Foley to score.

Then came the first of centre Mike Thornburn's two tries when a kick into the 22 by Gaudie was misjudged by the visiting full back and the ball bounced kindly for Thornburn to score.

Matty Todd converted but indiscipline prevented Boro from driving home their advantage and Thornburn was sin-binned while Ponteland kicked two penalties to make it 12-6 at half-time.

Good build-up allowed Myles Colvin to trundle over from ten metres before Ponteland kicked their third penalty.

A converted try by Todd midway through the half stretched Boro's lead and they added three in the last five minutes through Ali Lang, Thornburn and Rhys Kilbride.

Stockton took their tally of tries to 22 in two games against Darlington when they ran in on eight on a surprisingly good Blackwell Meadows surface.

The hosts managed only an interception try early in the second half in a 44-7 defeat against a side fielding its strongest pack, boosted by Phil Douglas's first appearance of the season.

Scrum half Brian Thwaites had a big hand in two of the five first half tries in building a 29-0 lead.

Winger Brian Morris finished a good move which began 60 metres out for the first of his brace, the others coming from Jonny Horner, Steve Taylor and Joe Green.

It became more difficult as the pitch began to cut up, but further scores followed from Martin Dixon, Steve Thornton and Jeremy Good.