IF Darlington didn't already know it, they can be in no doubt now that their failure to strengthen the squad for national league rugby means they will struggle to survive in Three North.

After half an hour on Saturday they led 17-0 and in North One would have proceeded to run away with the game. But when Dudley attacked them they fell apart alarmingly and are still without a point after three games.

Mowden Park and Blaydon have found that they need a squad of 30 capable of performing at this level, but Darlington have barely half that number.

It is unfortunate that they have arrived in the national leagues at a time when financial savings are having to be made, such as dispensing with a full-time groundsman.

The pitch was not in its usual pristine condition, but for 30 minutes the team looked as invincible on it as they have for the last few seasons. Then the injuries started to take their toll, along with a worrying lack of line-out possession.

Although he hasn't played first team rugby for several seasons, Darlington had to start with Phil Mott at blind side and he went off with a shoulder problem after 25 minutes. Prop Dan Miller departed with something similar just after half-time, and midway through the second half fly half and captain Paul Lee limped off.

Dudley, who had also lost their first two matches, quickly overturned the 24-7 half-time deficit, capitalising on mistakes and poor tackling to score five of their six second half tries from long range.

A poor refereeing decision, swiftly followed by Miller's injury, proved the turning point. When Dudley kicked a penalty to touch the linesman signalled that it had gone into touch-in-goal, but the referee overruled him.

Although Dudley didn't score directly from the line-out, Miller was injured in the subsequent drive and before Phil Lancaster had time to settle in Dudley scored.

They moved the ball out and the speedy Ian Gowland came off his wing to take a long pass and race under the posts for the first of his four tries.

Rarely do rugby matches change so dramatically, and two minutes later Dudley scored again. Flanker Tui Asipito picked up a loose ball 40 metres out and although he was caught by Rob Stewart just short of the line he found No 8 Ben Connett in support.

A Connett interception set up Gowland to put Dudley in front and Darlington looked a spent force. They did manage some sporadic attacks but always lost the ball, notably when a poor pass from Stewart went to ground and Gowland kicked on to score from 70 metres.

It had all been so different early on, even though Darlington seemed to consider it wise to ignore their one obvious source of line-out possession, Richard Snowball.

With flanker Martin Howe soldiering on after an early injury, Snowball and No 8 Del Lewis were the pick of the forwards in the first half, while Miller and fellow prop Joe Osleton more than held their own.

Winger Frankie Coulson scored twice and Lewis also touched down, with Marc Potts, drafted in on the wing, adding two conversions. Coulson squeezed in at the left corner after seven minutes, then he cut inside two tackles to finish off a good handling move with full back Richard Lang in the line. Lang also fielded a clearance and started the counter-attack which led to the third try. Craig Lee was twice involved and Coulson made ground before Lewis appeared in the centre to take a short pass and beat the full back in a 20-metre run to the line.

The cultured left foot of fly half Eddie Smith drove Dudley into the right corner and when they won a line-out Smith waltzed through some flimsy tackling to go under the posts.

But there was no cause for alarm as Paul Lee dummied his way over to restore the 17-point lead and it might have been more at half-time had Darlington not kicked a penalty to touch then lost the line-out.

This happened again at a crucial stage in the second half after Stewart's third blistering break of the match was ended by a high tackle.

Shortly afterwards Dudley went in front and there was no further sign of the tide turning again.

Darlington eventually replaced hooker Rob Goddard with Brian Baldwin, but it is a sure sign of their lack of depth when a man of his advancing years has to step up to this level.