In A game of more spills than thrills, the final scoreline slightly flattered Blaydon after they scored a converted try at the death.

Previously fifth in National Division Three North, one spot below their hosts, Blaydon slipped three places and are now level on points with Tynedale, who visit Mowden on Saturday.

Mowden recalled player-coach Kevan Oliphant at fly half in place of Jonny Golightly, but on this evidence they need Golightly's pace somewhere in midfield.

Visits to Yiewsley Drive have been a virtual guarantee of entertainment in the last few seasons, but flat defences and slowing down of the ball are all too prevalent in rugby at the moment.

Mowden succeeded in blotting out Blaydon scrum half Andy Foreman, who has scored six tries in recent games, and they also allowed dangerous full back Gareth King to escape only once.

Mowden had struggled badly at the line-out when they lost at home to leaders Dudley two weeks ago, but this time it was Blaydon who couldn't get it right.

They won some ball through Jason Oakes as they dominated the first ten minutes, but whoever choreographs their line-out manouevres would have been disappointed as possession dried up and Mowden took control.

Without injured skipper Dave Guthrie, Blaydon also lacked the physical presence for their attempts to batter round the fringes to amount to anything.

They still hadn't learnt that lesson well into the second half, when Mowden's mean and meaty front row of Dave Sinclair, Danny Brown and Tasi Tuhana all put in big hits to stop opponents in their tracks.

Yet Mowden struggled to make their superiority count and in the end their greater discipline won the game as they did not concede a penalty within kicking range until injury time, when Blaydon ran it and eventually squeezed over the line.

As both sides scored two tries and a conversion, Oliphant's two penalties made the difference, the first one stretching the 7-0 half-time lead when a penalty was reversed for backchat.

Blaydon could ill afford this sort of thing, especially as they had done well to weather ten minutes of pressure on the resumption.

But they were back in the game after 60 minutes when a failed touch kick by Mark Wilkinson was gathered by James O'Malley near halfway and moved in-field to give King the space to show his pace and power.

He made 30 metres before opting to chip to the left corner, where Paul Alexander won the race to touch down.

But Blaydon couldn't build any sustained pressure and three minutes later Oliphant kicked another penalty then was immediately presented with another chance by a late tackle at the restart.

He missed that one, but Blaydon's indiscipline continued when they stupidly conceded another penalty with ten minutes left.

Again a decision was reversed when a touch judge spotted foul play in the right corner and after the initial drive for the line narrowly failed to bring a try winger Chris Mattison squeezed over.

Mowden's first half try came from line-out ball won by Jon Marston, the forwards driving on for ten metres for Tuhana to score after 16 minutes.

He might have scored earlier when he appeared on an overlap on the left wing, but Brown's pass went to ground.

Centre Dean Michniewicz almost jinked to the line for Blaydon and they might have scored when they put the impressive O'Malley clear near his own line. But he was brought back for a forward pass.

Blaydon sent on David Gaule at scrum half and Simon Hewitson at lock midway through the second half, but they were well beaten by the time O'Malley skipped past three tackles prior to the award of their late penalty near the posts. No 8 Dean Elminger was eventually driven over and James Lofthouse converted after being generally outplayed by Oliphant.

Mowden remain fourth but they are only two points behind Liverpool St Helens with a game in hand after the Merseysiders surprisingly lost at home to Scunthorpe.