DARLINGTON are in danger of ending the season with three successive defeats when they complete their National Three North programme with the rearranged visit of champions Bradford and Bingley tomorrow.

The Bees, who made sure of the title by winning at home to second-placed Nuneaton last week, have lost only twice all season.

Darlington lost 32-20 in Saturday's Durham Cup semi-final at Blaydon, whose opponents in the May 24 final will be Westoe.

They have got through without playing a game after Horden became the fourth of the eight teams originally involved to pull out.

Darlington beat West Hartlepool in the only first round match to go ahead and fancied their chances against a weakened Blaydon side.

They were on top early on and were level at 10-10 at halftime with the benefit of the wind to come.

But they lost heart following a second long-distance try by Blaydon's powerful winger Andrew Fenby.

A top-level squash player, he used some fancy footwork to side-step every potential tackler on a sensational run from his own half which ended under the posts.

With Blaydon fielding a makeshift scrum half, Darlington took the first scrum against the head and won all the early line-outs.

But against good defence they had only a Lee Davis penalty to show for their dominance.

The first time Blaydon got the ball, fly half Dan Clappison set the backs away in his own 22 and Fenby raced 60 metres to score.

Darlington quickly went back in front when Craig Lee chipped ahead and winger Frankie Coulson capitalised on some defensive hesitation to dribble over and score.

Davis converted, but Clappison kicked a penalty to level the scores five minutes before halftime.

Darlington used the wind in the second half to find touch in the Blaydon 22, hoping to score from catch-and-drives.

But Blaydon had prepared for this and kept them out, then they went in front when Clappison charged down a kick and, from 30 metres, followed up to score.

After a lot of pressure Darlington finally created the space for Coulson to score again to make it 15-15, but midway through the half came Fenby's second try.

Clappison converted and Blaydon got on top, lock Paul Clark scoring their fourth try from a catch-and-drive.

Darlington came back when No 8 Alan Brown appeared on the wing to touch down, but when they tried to run out of defence a long, floated pass was intercepted by Dan Graney, who completed the scoring.