BOTH Darlington clubs have reason to hope for better things in National Three North next season after Mowden ensured their safety with their best home performance of the season last Saturday.

A week after Darlington confirmed their survival, Mowden won 41-25 against Macclesfield with a performance which suggested the hosts, not the visitors, should be heading for a promotion play-off.

Macclesfield had not previously conceded more than 25 points in a match this season, but they were thoroughly outplayed up front.

Scoring points was Mowden's problem during the absence through injury of goal-kicking centre Mark Bedworth, during which they won only once in 11 games.

They have won three out of four since his return and he contributed 19 points on Saturday, landing two penalties and converting all five tries, one of which he scored himself while making two others.

Mowden moved level with Darlington on 51 points, but are ahead by virtue of having one more victory.

Darlington have a game in hand, which comes tomorrow with their rearranged fixture at Fylde, which will be another tough test for the injury-hit side following last week's 21-8 defeat at New Brighton.

They suffered three casualties, all key players, while overcoming Rugby's physical approach to clinch safety the previous week.

Flanker Martin Howe broke a hand, lock Richard Snowball had facial injuries and a strained hamstring, while player-coach Craig Lee has torn an abductor muscle.

Lee will not play again this season unless Darlington reach the Durham Cup final and it goes ahead on June 1, as the county have decreed.

Durham want the semi-finals played on Wednesday, April 27, with Darlington due to visit Blaydon and Mowden away to Westoe.

But none of the clubs are happy about delaying the final until June 1, a date the county have decided on in order to avoid a clash with the County Championship matches next month.

Mowden have a free day tomorrow, but are unable to play their semi-final because Westoe are contesting the Powergen Intermediate Cup final against Morley at Twickenham.

Mowden's two remaining league games are away to leaders Halifax next week and at home to Fylde on April 30 and, while it has generally been accepted they would be unlikely to win at Halifax, they were anxious not to leave it until the Fylde match to clinch safety.

There was therefore great relief at the final whistle on Saturday, although the performance had been good enough to prompt thoughts of ending Halifax's unbeaten record.

It seems that only when relegation became a real possibility did Mowden perform to their potential, although the return of Bedworth and lock Kelekolio Paino has made a big difference.

Although well beaten up front, Macclesfield kept clawing their way back in an enthralling game. After going 7-0 down they scored two breakaway tries to lead 12-7, then from 21-12 down they kicked two penalties either side of half-time.

Mowden stretched away to 31-18, but visiting centre Steve Campbell scored his second converted try before Bedworth settled matters.

He kicked his second penalty then burst on to a short pass from fly half Martin Shaw and sent out a huge pass for winger Michael Georgiou to score in the right corner.

Mowden's first try came after ten minutes when they were awarded a free kick at a scrum. Hooker Tasi Tuhana drove on and from 15 metres turbo-charged prop Peni Fakalelu picked up and brushed off two tackles to score.

Macclesfield immediately hit back with a brilliant try from a move which started just outside their own 22, then scored again from another clinical counter-attack.

But Mowden were quickly back on top and when they were awarded a penalty in the right corner Bedworth caught the visitors napping after a long injury stoppage.

He put in a perfect low cross-kick for unmarked left winger Peter Phelan to have the simplest of touchdowns.

A third converted try came after 35 minutes when scrum half Shaun Richardson made a sniping break from a ruck, but took the ball on too far and suffered an ankle injury for his troubles.

Mowden recycled the ball and Shaw threw out a long pass for Bedworth to race on to and glide straight through the defence to score.

Richardson had to go off, but Newcastle Academy product Phelan has played mostly at scrum half and was able to move in there to great effect, with Matt Howland coming off the bench to play on the wing.

Mowden threatened to shoot themselves in the foot by conceding a string of penalties and two were kicked to reduce the gap to 21-18 just after half-time.

But 15 minutes later they surged further ahead when a pick-and-drive by Fakalelu created an opening which was brilliantly exploited on the blind side by Phelan. From 30 metres he twice wrong-footed defenders with perfect dummies to score near the posts.

Bedworth converted and added a penalty to make it 31-18, but with 15 minutes left flanker Jason Smithson blotted his excellent display by being sin-binned for handling in a ruck.

Macclesfield scored a converted try while he was off to get back within one score, but their hopes vanished when Bedworth kicked another penalty.

Shortly after Smithson returned, replacement prop Danny Brown was also shown a yellow card, but with the game entering injury time Mowden won a scrum on the 22, leading to Georgiou's try. Bedworth converted from the touchline to complete the scoring.

Darlington put on a brave show at New Brighton, where prop Joe Oselton took Snowball's place at lock in his last game before going to play in New Zealand.

Paul Shepherd came into the front row while Fijian Joe Naga replaced Howe and gave a good account of himself, along with fellow flanker Michael Taylor.

Prop Dan Miller and hooker Dan Oselton also played well against New Brighton's powerful, well-drilled pack.

Darlington led 3-0 through a David Kell penalty, but went 14-3 down before scrum half Rob Stewart made a superb break to set up a try for lock Matt Dilworth.

At 14-8 it seemed Darlington would hang on to collect a bonus point, but the hosts scored a late converted try.