MOWDEN Park must wish that RFU officials were as thorough in dealing with player registrations as Durham referee Alan Hughes was in applying the laws on Saturday.

They had to play without two of their selected side because paperwork had gone astray at Twickenham and were unable to function in a game of 39 penalties.

After a busy summer of recruitment, it is bound to take time for the newcomers to gel, but losing the opening National Three North game at home to promoted Cleckheaton was not in the script.

Mowden's greatest priority was to find a fly half. No-one disputes Mark Bedworth's right to be in the team at full back or centre, but he ended up at No 10 again.

Coaches Martin Pepper and Kevan Oliphant went for what they considered the safe pair of hands, selecting South Africa Under 21s fly half Michael Georgiou on the wing with the intention of switching him inside at an opportune moment.

But there were registration complications with both Georgiou and flanker Matthew Wright, despite the fact that the paperwork was sent in the same envelope as for the other newcomers.

Newcastle Academy player Peter Phelan deputised on the wing with Jonny Boatman coming into a new-look back row which lacked the dynamism Mowden have had in that department in recent seasons.

The lack of finishing power saw Mowden trailing 6-3 at half-time even though they had most of the ball and things didn't improve as they found themselves 16-6 down after 70 minutes.

The game was about to enter injury time when Mowden's most threatening attackers, full back Iain Dixon and winger Andy Foreman, made ground up the right.

The ball came back into the middle and scrum half Richard Holbrough broke wide from a scrum and fed the ball inside for replacement flanker Tom McLaren to score.

Bedworth added the conversion to his two penalties and the gap was down to three points.

With time almost up Mowden were awarded a kickable penalty just outside the 22, but they opted to go for victory by kicking to the corner.

It looked as though it would pay off as the ball was recycled four times and they had all but reached the line when Mr Hughes judged that Cleckheaton had stopped the maul legally and blew for time.

Although the penalty count was roughly equal, the disgruntled home fans had some justification for feeling their team were unfortunate to be shown two yellow cards compared with the visitors' one.

Cleckheaton flanker Geoff Jones was sin-binned after only six minutes for stamping and was lucky not be sent off before half-time after another offence brought only a lengthy lecture.

The Pacific Islanders were the most eye-catching players up front for Mowden, with hooker Tasi Tuhana having a good game while Tongan newcomers Dosita Danginoa and Peni Fakalalu looked powerful.

Fakalalu is a loose head, but with Ian Keeligan fully justifying his selection the Tongan replaced Dave Sinclair at tight head for the last 25 minutes.

Mowden could probably have done with Danny Brown in that position, but he is playing for Newcastle Falcons Development XV tomorrow night.

It was all Mowden in the first ten minutes and the new centre pairing of Martin Shaw and Tom Lauriston showed some promise, which faded in unison with the turgid game.

The spoiling tactics and well-organised defence of the visitors, coupled with the penalty count, meant there was rarely any flow, which was a shame as the pitch was in superb condition.

Cleckheaton's player-coach, former British Lion John Bentley, played on the right wing but was certainly not a peripheral figure.

His burst down the centre led to the first score, a penalty by full back Glenn Boyd after 15 minutes.

Then came the first of several instances for both sides of being marched back a further ten metres for backchat, but Bedworth missed the penalty then Dixon was halted under the posts after a strong run and Mowden were penalised for diving in.

Bedworth levelled the scores after 32 minutes, but then missed again after a high tackle by Bentley and Boyd struck from 35 metres on the stroke of half-time.

The officials took full advantage of a new regulation allowing them to retire to the clubhouse for ten minutes at half-time, but the hanging around clearly did nothing to inspire the players.

When Mowden conceded an extra ten metres for backchat they were under pressure, which increased when they failed to drive on from a line-out near the line and a poor pass was knocked on by Bedworth. Visiting No 8 Oliver Akroyd drove off the scrum to score a converted try.

At 13-3 down things were looking bleak for Mowden when the next instance of dissent earned a yellow card for Dixon.

But while he was off Bedworth's second penalty cut the gap, only for another break down the middle by Bentley to force Lauriston to infringe just short of the line. He was sin-binned and the penalty went over to restore the visitors' ten-point lead.

With the game all but lost, Mowden at last began to put some moves together and could easily have snatched it at the death.