Darlington'S youth policy may eventually pay rich dividends, but first they have to make sure they are not muscled out of National Three North by expensively-assembled outfits like Bradford and Bingley.

With two teenagers in their back row, Darlington had no answer to the pace and power of two colourfully-named imports, Bloues Volschenk and Latu Maakafi. These are not the sort of monikers usually attached to Bradford's ethnic community.

Despite going 12-0 up in the first 15 minutes, it quickly became obvious that Darlington were in danger of being badly stung by the Bees and they defended well to keep the margin to 19-15 until they conceded two converted tries in the last ten minutes.

By that stage injuries were taking their toll. Skipper Paul Lee retired after 50 minutes and young forwards Michael Taylor and Tom Wilkinson had also gone off, the one consolation being that replacement Matt Dilworth didn't look out of place in his first senior appearance for over a year.

As Lee and his brother Craig will miss Saturday's derby at Mowden Park, any further casualties will be most unwelcome.

Had hooker Dan Oselton been fit, they would have fielded three sets of brothers against the Bees as 18-year-old James Snowball deputised for the unavailable Del Lewis at No 6.

With big brother Richard setting his usual tremendous example, James worked hard but the pack as a whole were overpowered.

The Bees made a slow start at national level after winning promotion last season, but have emerged as likely promotion challengers and this was their fourth successive win.

Full back David Kell missed two early penalties for Darlington before they ran one on the 22 and the ball went left then right for winger Frankie Coulson to shrug off opposite number Ben Greaves on his way to the line.

Kell converted and after 15 minutes Rob Stewart started a move up the left which saw deft handling from prop Dan Miller put Lee Davies away and his inside pass sent winger Marc Potts over.

The visitors then began to take control and Darlington could not make their usual progress from driving mauls.

They defended defiantly close to the line, but when Bees moved the ball out Greaves took his revenge on Coulson, easily rounding him to score. Two penalties by fly half Tom Rhodes had the gap down to 12-11 at half-time.

No 8 Volschenk began the second half with a 50-metre surge and only a knock-on prevented a try. But Darlington were penalised in the scrum and Rhodes put the visitors ahead.

Home flanker Martin Howe then scrapped with Volschenk and was sin-binned after 50 minutes, and while he was off the No 8 again broke off a scrum to send Maakafi racing over.

On Howe's return Darlington threatened to get back into it as Stewart broke from a line-out and Richard Snowball got to within five metres.

But when they set up a maul and tried to drive over they went nowhere.

They still keep the pressure on sufficiently for Kell to kick a penalty, reducing the deficit to four points with 12 minutes left. But the Bees came back powerfully, battering away until they got close enough to the line for Greaves to pick up from a ruck and nip over.

The final try was no great surprise but it owed more to luck than creativity as a clearance kick by Rhodes bounced just inside the touchline and sat up perfectly for winger Marcus Dracop, who took it at full tilt and cut inside to race to the posts.

Result: Darlington 15 Bradford and Bingley 33.