THE league table does not lie and while comfortably beating most of the sides below them, Mowden Park have now lost to all three teams above them in National Three North.

While defeat is always disappointing, especially after three years of outstanding success, this is not a bad time for Mowden to take stock, sort out their relocation, then decide whether they can move forward again.

They have come a long way in a short time and Saturday's match was a thoroughly absorbing contest which generated a fair amount of noise from the packed stand. It was a far cry from playing Seaham seven years ago.

But a well-drilled Doncaster side underlined that a fifth successive promotion is beyond Mowden on their current form, and drafting in two young Newcastle players is likely to be of more benefit to the Falcons than Mowden.

Newcastle had the match videoed so they can analyse the performances of prop James Isaacson and No 8 Phil Dowson.

Both played their part in some excellent defence in the first half hour as Doncaster dominated territorially without reward.

But Dowson is only 20 and has not yet built up the body strength to pull off some of the things he tried. In a promising attacking position late in the game he took the ball into contact and lost it when it would have been wiser to pass it out.

Isaacson played very soundly but was partly to blame for the try which put Doncaster ahead after Mowden had led 7-0 at half-time.

He was given a lengthy lecture for illegal use of the foot and the visitors kicked the penalty to touch then drove the line-out 15 metres for player-coach Derek Eves to get the touchdown.

Four minutes later the former Bristol flanker scored again.

This time Doncaster put in a long clearance kick up the right and there should have been no great danger, but not for the first time Mowden failed to keep possession.

The visitors moved the ball left before recycling it again for Eves, standing off, to take a short pass and step through a big gap for a simple touchdown.

Isaacson was then replaced by regular tight head Dave Sinclair, while Danny Brown went on for Ian Keeligan.

Tim Wilks was already on for the out-of-sorts Tony Irwin and although Mowden rallied a little, Kevan Oliphant's failure to find touch with two penalties epitomised the general frustration.

They have badly missed the input of player-coach Dave Mitchell, who appeared on the touchline for the first time for several weeks and reported that his treatment for leukaemia is going very well.

It is too early to predict what future involvement he can have, but he was in remarkably good spirits.

One of his old Premiership adversaries, former Leicester and England full back John Liley, was surprisingly off target with two penalties in the first half hour and after being starved of possession Mowden took the lead in the 37th minute.

From a scrum 40 metres out Oliphant gave an inside pass to centre Mick Kent, who burst straight through the middle and sent full back Kevin McCallum under the posts.

The way defence has evolved, there may be a case for having a battering ram at centre, but planning for the future should now be a priority.

Although Doncaster were not short of enterprise, they produced only one piece of real attacking class, which led to their first try four minutes after half-time.

It was a double switch in midfield, executed at high pace which sent winger Christopher Conway clear.

His kick ahead came back off a post, which was unlucky for Mowden as scrum half Paul Townsley would otherwise not have scored.

Liley converted and was again on target from wide on the left after Eves' first try.

The third was much simpler and with 15 minutes left there was never any threat of Mowden repeating the previous week's comeback against Tynedale.