Darlington bounce back with cup win (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Darlington bounce back with cup win

9:38am Monday 24th November 2008

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DARLINGTON emerged from their slump with a 20-17 win at home to Cleckheaton in the second round of EDF Intermediate Cup.

They entertain the same side in North One this week, but expect it to be a different proposition as the West Yorkshire club have three South Africans who were all at Twickenham on Saturday.

It was an encouraging performance, however, after Darlington’s recent heavy defeats, with the return of skipper Lee Richardson and fellow centre Andrew Pugh shoring up the middle.

Henry Carver continued his improvement at fly half, as did new flanker Padraig O’Donnaughy, while winger Adam Kiberige seized the chance to show his paces by scoring two tries.

Both teams tried to run the ball, but Cleckheaton’s No 8 scored the only first half try from a maul just before the break.

A 17th minute penalty by Nick Baldwin had given Darlington the lead and they went back in front early in the second half when the ball was moved out for Kiberige to score.

He raced over again after 51 minutes, then a slick move on the narrow side ended with Carver breaking from the 22 to score in the corner. Taking over the kicking for the first time, he added an excellent conversion.

Darlington led 20-7 and it was just as well for them that Cleckheaton failed to convert either of the two tries they scored in two minutes.

There were still 13 minutes left, and having run several kickable penalties in the first half, the visitors did it again, enabling Darlington to hang on through some much-improved defence.

Fly half Paul Moss contributed 17 points to West Hartlepool’s 37-12 win at Durham City.

He opened the scoring after five minutes with a drop goal and added two tries and two conversions.

City were never in it, their first try coming from a Chris Metcalfe interception when they trailed 20-0, and the second at the death from the other centre, Richard Knowles.

Moss’s first try came after Paul Rudd broke down the middle and Iain Dixon was stopped just short, then winger Andrew Cheslin beat an opponent on the left to send Dixon racing over.

Midway through the second half West sent on Darren Thomas for his first taste of scrum half action for some time and he took a quick penalty on the 22 to dart over.

Prop Chris Stewart drove over after a good backs move, then coach Tim Sawyer galloped through a gap to score shortly after going on as a replacement.

Finally, Moss jinked over from 20 metres.

D u r h a m Cup holders W e s t o e reached the t h i r d round of the EDF National T r o p h y with a 29-3 win a t home to Loughborough Students.

A break by fly half Sam Rasch set up the first try for winger Graeme Haswell before a penalty under the posts gave the visitors their only points.

This was a credit to the Westoe defence, considering that the students had beaten Harrogate 73-12 in the first round.

Kiwi winger Willy Moala weaved his way through for his 14th try of the season just before half-time, Rasch converting for a 12-3 lead.

With their backs making no progress, Loughborough resorted to pick-and-drive, but again without success and when they lost the ball on halfway on the hour Haswell made 25 metres before sending full back James McFarlane over.

Rasch converted, added a penalty after 80 minutes and was again on target after replacement winger Jonathan Cloak sped over in the last move of the game.

With the National Two clubs coming in at the third round stage, the only other North-East team involved on Saturday were Morpeth, who lost 25-22 at home to Kendal.

The gap of two divisions was evident as the Cumbrians raced into a 22-0 lead, but bigger clubs than them have come a cropper at Morpeth in the national cup.

The hosts hit back with three second half penalties and when fly half Matthew Jinks added a penalty the scores were level after 74 minutes.

But his opposite number, Dan Stephens, kicked the winning penalty in the last minute.

In the Intermediate Cup Middlesbrough won 29-10 at home to Old Crossleyans, eventually making the gap of one division count as they overturned a 7-0 deficit following their usual slow start.

It was 19-7 at half-time and the Halifax club never looked like scoring again as Boro’s fly half Simon O’Farrell continued his prolific run.

For his second try he cut through the first line of defence, chipped ahead and regathered before out-pacing the cover for an excellent score. He also kicked a penalty and three conversions, with the other tries coming from the Wrights, scrum half Peter and flanker Matt. Richie Barker had an impressive game at No 8.

In the EDF Senior Vase Stockton had only seven regular first teamers available for the trip to Skipton and lost 59- 0. The West Yorkshire club scored the first of their eight tries after five minutes and led 24-0 at half-time. All the tries were converted and they also kicked a penalty.

Horden were also reminded that Yorkshire clubs at this level tend to be stronger as they lost 26-0 at Bridlington.

■ Mark Cueto’s last-gasp try snatched a 13-12 win for Sale at Wasps, who have won just once all season.

The out-of-favour England wing capitalised on some suicidal Wasps’ defending in the dying stages, leaving Charlie Hodgson the simplest of tasks to seal the Guinness Premiership win from in front of the posts.

Both sets of backs were spectators for most of the 80 minutes and with both sides eager for victory, no caution was thrown into the howling wind.

The game started in tentative fashion, both full-backs testing each other out with good long kicks on a very slippery surface.

A mistake from Sale fullback Nick MacLeod and an ever reliable Raphael Ibanez line-out set up the first points of the match for Wasps, Dave Walder converting on nine minutes for 3-0.

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