Mowden Park on the slide as losing run continues

While Mowden’s position worsened by failing to claim a point for the fifth game in a row, the men from Tyneside closed the gap to those above them.

Second-from-bottom Blaydon crushed Hull Ionians, the side sitting above them, 66-14 to move level on points with them after 11 matches in National League One.

The handsome win for Blaydon also means they are just two points behind Mowden Park, who sit fourth from bottom after another frustrating afternoon at The Northern Echo Arena.

It was always going to be hard for the County Durham side against a Blackheath team in with a chance of taking over in second spot from Birmingham Moseley.

That was how it proved, even though the signs were good when James Fitzpatrick went over to open the scoring.

But Blackheath recovered and were not really in trouble after scoring a first penalty.

It could have been made harder when James Penman was red-carded, but they still went over for two unconverted tries and scored two penalties before half-time. They also added another try after the break and finished things off close to the end to win 31-5.

Barnard Castle are heading for a title celebration if they continue their excellent form.

They won for the sixth game in a row and have a lead of three points at the top of Durham Northumberland Division One.

They brushed aside third-placed and well-fancied Northern 31-13 on their home patch.

Youthful Stockton, showing the signs of form that club officials believed they possessed, recorded a morale-boosting win by returning from Sutherland Park with the points after another improved display on the road.

They led 10-5 at the break and pressed on to beat Novocastrians 24-12 despite two yellow cards.

Strong-running centre Steve Tampin and dynamic young flankers Charlie Doherty and Liam Healey claimed the tries, while winger Steve Bartliff converted all three and added a penalty.

Middlesbrough hammered visitors Hartlepool 45-0.

Northallerton travelled to Halifax Vandals in Yorkshire Three on the back of a three-game unbeaten run, but ended up unfortunate 15-12 losers.

The game was mostly a contest between the forwards, with both teams fielding large and well-drilled packs.

As they have done in previous weeks, Northallerton started off the slower and fell behind to early scores. By half-time, they had conceded two tries and a penalty to go in at the break 15-0 down.

But confidence was still high in the North team as they are renowned for grinding the opposition down and scoring late on.

Midway through the second half, North's game plan seemed to be paying off, firstly with a try by Manthorpe which was converted by Jedd Bainbridge. Soon after, another try from the improving P J Skinner brought North to within three points and in the ascendancy.

But Halifax held fast in defence, especially in the last 10 minutes as North pressed and pressed.

North's cause wasn't helped by devastating injuries to Jonny Franks and second row Alex Bilby which affected their line-out play and slight forward domination in the last quarter of the game.

On a brighter note, player-coach James Hopkin came on for the last 20 minutes for his first game in 18 months after a shoulder injury.

Tomorrow, Northallerton firsts will hope to get back to winning ways at home to Stocksbridge, kick-off 2.15pm.

Northallerton seconds entertained a Middlesbrough team and ran out 48-10 winners.

Boro travelled with only 13 players and Northallerton had 16 players, so sportingly loaned a player to the visitors to make it a more even contest.

Boro still had no answer to the home team's more physical directness as numerous breaks were made through the middle of the visitors' defence.

North's tries came from man of the match Gareth Studley (2), Ed Pratt (2), Trevor Mould, Matty Wheeler, Jack Swain and Gary Norton. Mould added four conversions.

Tomorrow, Northallerton seconds are away at Hartlepool, kick-off 2.15pm.