Mowden face tough task after Bedworth blow

They entertain unbeaten National Three North leaders Halifax tomorrow and visit second-placed Macclesfield next week.

Bedworth, who returned from a hamstring injury to orchestrate the previous week's win against Darlington, limped off ten minutes from time in last Saturday's 17-17 draw at Dudley Kingswinford.

Both hamstring and calf were causing problems and the best Mowden can hope for is that he will be back for their first match after the break on January 8, the week before the return derby at Blackwell Meadows.

Mowden are seventh in the league and Darlington ninth, albeit nine points adrift despite picking up a five-point maximum from their 30-22 home win against Fylde.

To secure the bonus point for a fourth try was a tremendous effort as Fylde had conceded only seven tries all season coming into the game and were in third place with only one defeat.

Darlington hope to consolidate their progress by winning away tomorrow to Kendal, who are two places below them.

Last Saturday's match was attended by Darlington's main sponsors, the Horror Channel, who have agreed a two-year deal and have their logo on the club shirts.

Managing director Tony Hazell lives near Bishop Auckland and his son, Nicky, plays with the Darlington minis.

Hazell said: "I see it as a good opportunity to promote the channel nationally and to help the grass roots of the game, so some of the money is going to the minis."

Horror Channel chairman Tony Brill presented the man of the match award to Darlington scrum half Rob Stewart, whose individual try ten minutes from time proved decisive.

The victory looked unlikely when Darlington, facing the wind, saw their 22-5 half-time lead cut to three points within 15 minutes. But the forwards dug deep, drove the mauls and Stewart suddenly broke from a ruck 40 metres out to race in at the left corner.

Winger Marc Potts scored two of the tries as Darlington overturned an early 5-0 deficit, and there was an encouraging performance from young Michael Stowe, who had to replace hooker Rob Goddard after 15 minutes.

Darlington expect to be without full back David Kell shortly as he is likely to be suspended following his dismissal at Mowden Park. But his improving goal-kicking was vital on Saturday as, asked to go for goal into the wind as the game entered injury time, he duly obliged to put the game beyond Fylde's reach.

Kell also came to the rescue with a try-saving tackle midway through the second half, which was a big turning point as Fylde looked likely winners at that stage. But Darlington cut back on the handling, which was producing too many errors, and shaded the last 20 minutes.

Fylde initially went ahead from a No 8 pick-up at a scrum 30 metres out, and with the defence pulled out of position it was left to Stewart to cover across in a vain attempt to stop the right winger.

Darlington's first try resulted from good handling by the backs, with Kell coming into the line to send Potts over.

Kell landed an excellent conversion then kicked a 40-metre penalty following a driving maul, but after Stowe went on there was further disruption to the front row when Dan Miller was sin-binned.

Paul Scott went on for the next scrum and when Darlington won it against the head Potts appeared on the crash ball at centre to shrug off a tackle and go under the posts.

Just before half-time a break up the right touchline by flanker Martin Howe ended with Fylde killing the ball five metres short. They had a lock sin-binned and Darlington kicked the penalty to touch then drove over with prop Joe Oselton touching down.

Five minutes after half-time Fylde's speedy full back Richard Kenyon took a short pass at pace on the blind side of a ruck and shot straight through to race 40 metres to the posts.

Seven minutes later a poor kick allowed Kenyon to counter-attack from his own 22. He then stood off a ruck on the Darlington 22 and again took a pass at pace to go under the posts.

Darlington came back and kicked a penalty to touch then drove on before the ball was released, only for Craig Lee's long pass to go to ground and allow Fylde to break away. Only a knock-on prevented them from taking the lead.

Then came Kell's crucial tackle and it was obvious Darlington needed another score. It came when Potts put in a good run up the left and Stewart shot away from the ensuing ruck to outpace the cover into the left corner. A penalty got Fylde back within one score, but they were killed off by Kell's reply from outside the 22 halfway out on the left.

Mowden outplayed Dudley Kingswinford but in the end were lucky not to lose as the referee decided what looked a good match-winning pass was forward.

With Martin Shaw unavailable, Mowden switched Tom Lauriston to centre and handed a debut on the wing to former Barnard Castle School player James Hamer, who gave a few glimpses of his undoubted pace.

Dudley set the tone by scoring the first time they escaped from their own half after ten minutes, rolling over from a line-out following a penalty to the corner.

Mowden responded with pressure which brought three kickable penalties in six minutes, but Bedworth hit a post with the first and landed only one.

When another penalty quickly followed a Dudley player was sin-binned and Mowden went for touch and drove over, with prop Peni Fakalelu touching down straight after replacing Dave Sinclair.

Bedworth missed another penalty then Mowden spurned the next kickable one and opted for a kick to the corner, followed by a drive which just failed to get over the line.

It was that sort of day and when they kicked another penalty to the corner the referee promptly blew for half-time.

After ten more minutes of pressure at the start of the second half they were caught offside and Dudley made it 10-10.

Mowden are hoping to call on a few Newcastle Development XV players in the next few weeks, when they have no games of their own.

One of them, Jason Smithson, impressed when he went on at No 8 for the last half hour at Dudley and a big up-and-under by fly half Michael Georgiou led to Mowden regaining the lead after 70 minutes.

Gareth Kerr followed up with a good tackle and the ball rebounded to Georgiou, who scored.

But Mowden's day was summed up when they were attacking in the 80th minute and Dudley intercepted to race 70 metres for a converted try