BLAYDON followed their best performance of the season against Dudley Kingswinford with a poor display in a 19-10 defeat at Tynedale.

Centre Jonny Golightly was among those who failed to recapture the previous week's form and there was no improvement when his former Mowden Park colleagues, Tasi Tuhana and Kevin McCallum, went on for the second half.

They were joined by James Lofthouse, returning after injury, in an effort to create the direction which had been lacking at half back when Blaydon tried to run the ball with a strong wind behind them.

They did manage tries from scrum half Andy Foreman and flanker Andy Wright for a 10-0 lead, but their only threat after the interval came from full back Gareth King running out of defence.

He once put McCallum clear on the wing, but he was caught and another chance was gone as the prodigious kicking of home fly half Phil Belgain continually drove Blaydon back.

He also kicked three penalties, a drop goal and a touchline conversion following a try by Craig Johnston, which stemmed from a kick ahead by full back Alan Moses.

Middlesbrough slipped into second bottom place in North One when they lost 39-13 away to relegation rivals Bradford and Bingley.

Despite losing skipper Richard McRae after 15 minutes with a hamstring injury, Boro matched their hosts up front but their depleted backs were outplayed.

Bradford had a recently recruited fly half from Wakefield who set up most of their scores as they built a 27-0 half-time lead.

With the wind behind them in the second half, Boro scored two tries from driving mauls through lock Ian Robinson and fly half Mark Foster added a penalty.

In the Durham Cup Westoe won 14-0 at home to Durham City and will relish the chance of revenge at Crow Trees if Blaydon beat Mowden Park on March 23. Westoe suffered a controversial one-point defeat in the cup semi-final at Blaydon last season.

Three well-struck penalties by full back Craig Stephenson gave them a 9-0 interval lead in a lively game and a 50-metre run by winger Paul Hagan set up a late try for Karl Millford.

Acklam will fancy their chances of a good run in the Yorkshire Shield after a 30-3 home win against Moortown. Ian Bircham kicked three penalties and converted tries by Steve Keenan, Gavin Kendall and Paul Coxon.

Northallerton conceded five converted tries to lose 35-0 in their Yorkshire Two match at Huddersfield YMCA.