Darlington are still no match for Boro (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Darlington are still no match for Boro

9:14am Monday 6th October 2008

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MIDDLESBROUGH continued their stranglehold over Darlington as they followed last season’s three wins with a 25-6 victory which left their visitors without a point from four games in North One.

After a similar start last year, Darlington improved steadily to fight their way out of trouble and raise hopes of building a side which could compete comfortably at this level.

Now they will have to play catch-up again and this week’s home game against Stockport takes on crucial significance.

After the previous week’s drubbing at Westoe, Boro benefited from having first-choice locks Iain Bradford and Chris Webb back in tandem, while Paul Norris showed pace and strength in the centre.

They dominated the lineout, were superior in the loose and overcame their struggles in the scrums as they took control in the second half.

With the benefit of coaching from ex-Darlington captain Paul Lee, Boro ran at his latest successor at fly half, Nick Baldwin.

It is asking a lot of someone who turned 17 only last month to play at this level, and although another youngster, Alex Pugh, did well outside him there was little penetration in the Darlington backs.

The line-out misfired and, despite dominating territory with a strong wind behind them, Darlington failed to make it count in the first half.

Baldwin kicked two early penalties, but Boro gradually got into the game and after 19 minutes prop Chris Horton followed up a break by Norris to score. Full back Callum Campbell converted for a 7-6 half-time lead.

Darlington lost their edge in the scrums when prop Dave Tunstead went off injured after 48 minutes and fell further behind when a good backs move sent winger Andy Micklewright over in the right corner.

The visitors were still in it with ten minutes left, but then Campbell kicked a penalty for off-side and Norris burst through the middle from 25 metres to score under the posts.

Blaydon paid the price for failing to make the most of their opportunities when playing downwind at Birmingham and Solihull, who are now a fully professional side.

Blaydon led 12-0 after dominating for 30 minutes but lost 32-12 after the home fly half Mark Woodrow provided a lesson in how to use the wind.

Trying to run the ball against a strong defence proved Blaydon’s downfall and their first try after 16 minutes came from prop Robbie Kalbraier bursting over after a series of forward drives.

On the half hour a rare attack from the hosts broke down and Andrew Fenby launched a counter-attack in which hooker Matt Hall showed good pace over 30 metres before sending full back Charlie Rayner over for Andrew Baggett to convert.

Woodrow kicked a penalty just before half-time, but Blaydon’s hopes of holding out against the wind quickly vanished as they conceded two tries in the first seven minutes of the second half.

Winger Brendon Daniel, returning after injury, went on after 52 minutes and lock Chris Wearmouth replaced skipper Dave Guthrie for the last ten.

Chris Clark again did well at scrum half, but with their Newcastle Falcons players likely to be unavailable for a few weeks, Blaydon are happy to be at home to bottom club Mounts Bay this Saturday as they try to consolidate fifth place in National Two.

Tynedale are one point behind them after a late penalty by lock Andrew Murray snatched a third successive home win by 16-15 against Blackheath.

Although the lead changed hands several times, all the visitors’ points came from penalties in an error-strewn game, while home fly half Gavin Beasley struggled after taking over the kicking role from the injured Rob Miller.

Murray took over and landed two penalties to add to tries by impressive full back Jack Smales and centre Jack Harrison.

West Hartlepool won 17-0 at home to North One’s bottom club West Park St Helens, with Paul Moss playing a starring role at fly half.

He kicked a long-range penalty for the only points of the first half, then converted from wide out after a quicklytaken penalty produced a try for winger Andrew Cheslin.

Finally Moss broke on halfway to send centre Gareth Kerr over for a try, which Moss converted.

Unbeaten Billingham continue to share top spot with Driffield in North Two East after overturning a 12-7 halftime deficit to win 23-12 away to lowly Ilkley. Durham City are now the only team in the division without a point after losing 14-0 at home to Aspatria.

Hartlepool Rovers maintained their 100 per cent record in D and N One with a 16-13 win at Northern in a match refereed by Nicola Reynolds, of the East Midlands Society.

Chris Sainty kicked two penalties and converted a try by Gareth Foreman for a 13-0 lead, then had to land the winning penalty after Northern hit back to draw level.

Stockton were surprised by the excellence of a Wallsend side coached by Newcastle Falcons prop Micky Ward in a 32-3 away defeat.

Playind downwind, Stockton led through a Jeremy Good penalty but constant pressure failed to bring further reward against a strong defence.

Wallsend scored just before half-time, then landed two early second half penalties and added three more tries in the last 20 minutes.

While Matthew Brown did well on his switch to scrum half for Stockton, he was injured and could be replaced by Brian Thwaites, who has signed from Darlington.

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