DARLINGTON Mowden Park's Kevan Oliphant is hoping to find a coaching role after admitting defeat in his battle to play again.

The 36-year-old fly half wanted to enjoy one final season purely as a player after five years as a player-coach with Mowden.

But he suffered a knee injury in the fourth match of last season and after waiting several months for an operation has decided to hang up his boots.

"I would still have liked to play for one more season," he said. "But the knee isn't right. I'm doing two miles a day just running in straight lines, but if the knee won't twist I can't play.

"There's nothing more that surgery can do, so I'll just have to accept it. That's life.

"I want to get back to coaching and I would like to stay with Mowden, but I'm not sure there's a role for me there.

"I'm pretty ambitious when I get involved with a club, and Mowden match my ambition. They have a number of young players coming through with real potential and it's a matter of getting the best out of them.

"I can still see them going up another league, especially with help from Newcastle Falcons. But we don't know yet what form that help will take."

Oliphant grew up with West Hartlepool and played for them in the top flight before joining Mowden, where he felt the highlights of his stay were the cup games against Rosslyn Park and Harlequins.

"From a personal performance point of view the win at home to Rosslyn Park was probably the best feeling because I contributed a few points," he said.

"But the trip to Harlequins was very special because we played so well down there when we were about six divisions below them.

"Also, the series of promotions gave my career a big boost after leaving West wondering what I was going to do."