A SIX-GAME winning streak has carried Mowden Park into third place in National Three North, but they are dependent on Halifax slipping up to allow them into a play-off for a place in Division Two.

The winning run might be halted in three weeks away to unbeaten Waterloo, who look certainties for the one automatic promotion spot, but the visit of Halifax to Yiewsley Drive the following week could keep alive hopes of finishing second.

Although all-round excellence accounted for Preston, the ex-Blaydon contingent were well to the fore with Andy Foreman and Iain Dixon sharing five tries, while Tom McLaren and Jon Dye were prominent up front.

There was a covering of snow, but the pitch had been cleared 15 yards in from both touchlines, and although Preston weren't happy about patches of hard ground it was perfectly playable.

Goal-kicking was Mowden's only blemish with fly half Dave Richardson landing only one out of six conversions before Dixon kicked a second.

Foreman is making it very difficult for Mowden to leave him out. This was the second time he had made an impact after being named on the bench then drafted in as a late replacement.

Martyn Bray cried off and Newcastle Academy boy Armaveer Ladhar switched to centre to make way for Foreman, who again showed his pace off the mark can create something out of nothing in scoring the first of his three tries.

It was soon clear that some Preston players didn't fancy it and after a high-speed opening Dixon took a long pass at centre and danced through to score after three minutes.

Foreman scored the next when, after a pass went to ground in midfield, the ball was shovelled out to him on halfway. From a standing start and with little room he sped past two tackles, cut inside on the 22 and found himself in the clear.

Lock Ian Robinson, who did well at the line-out, would have scored in the right corner had the final pass not been forward following good runs by Ladhar and fellow centre Gareth Kerr.

Preston's inability to deal with the ball bouncing around after a kick ahead led to two tries, the first coming after 20 minutes when they conceded a five-metre scrum and McLaren all but got over before hooker Tasi Tuhana followed up to score.

That made it 17-0 at half-time and within six minutes of the resumption Mowden doubled the score.

The visiting full back fumbled a fairly innocuous Richardson kick into touch and this time Tuhana seemed to have got over from the catch-and-drive but a five-metre scrum was awarded and McLaren drove over.

The rampaging No 8 then had a big hand in the next two tries, making ground from halfway into the 22. First he took a long pass from Ladhar and surged up the wing before switching the ball inside for Foreman to score, then McLaren burst on to a short pass from Richard Holbrough and Dixon again appeared at centre to ride two tackles from ten metres.

With 30 minutes left and the game won, flanker Richard Arnold made way for Jonny Boatman and Preston finally got into the game for 20 minutes.

They had two useful wingers and kept trying to run the ball, even when they were pinned back again late in the game.

It was in trying to run penalties from their own 22 that they conceded two tries in the last five minutes. First Holbrough made the running for Foreman to score in the right corner then Preston lost the ball again and it was moved left for Ladhar to race over.

Dixon and Tuhana went off injured, giving Mark Laycock time to show his paces at full back while a reshuffled pack lost none of its dominance.

Result: Darlington Mowden Park 44 Preston Grasshoppers 0.