ALL five North-East teams in the first round proper of the Senior Knockout Cup are away from home tomorrow, with all but Westoe facing lengthy trips to the Midlands.

It's not much better for Westoe, who have come through the two qualifying rounds and face a difficult match at Hull Ionians.

Darlington Mowden Park visit Bromsgrove, Blaydon are at Walsall, West Hartlepool face Dudley Kingswinford and Tynedale go to Nuneaton.

If Mowden win they will be away to Waterloo in the second round in two weeks, while Blaydon can look forward to a home match against Fylde.

Although Bromsgrove are two divisions below them, Mowden are taking nothing for granted as the Worcestershire club have had good wins against Broad Street and Leicester Lions to reach this stage.

Mowden have shuffled their backs, with skipper Mick Kent and Chris Mattison earning their first appearances of the season on the wings, while Jonny Golightly and Matt Howland are at centre.

With scrum half Richard Woollam suffering a foot injury, Mowden bring in Will Green, the former Durham University player who helped them out last season.

Ian Keeligan starts at loose head, Ian James reverts to lock as Steve Sanderson is unavailable, and Jon Boatman is at open side with Tony Irwin ready to come off the bench if necessary. Also on the bench are newcomers Ben Kerr (flanker), Mark Black (wing) and Chris Simmons, a Durham University centre or winger who has played for Newbury in Division Two.

Flanker Shaun Cassidy, who was with Mowden last season, has become player-coach at Acklam, who are at home to North Shields tomorrow in the Intermediate Cup.

Blaydon's hosts, Walsall, were the biggest sufferers last season from the failure to complete league programmes because of foot-and-mouth. With relegation from National Three North being decided on a percentage basis, they went down by 0.1, despite having a far superior points difference to Sandal.

Walsall have lost several players as a result and Blaydon fancy their chances. They switch Barney Vorster to the wing, with Vinny Bell coming in at centre and Graeme Spearman keeping his place on the other wing after scoring two tries as a replacement last week.

With David Dixon and John Goose injured, former Newcastle RGS pupil Simon Knowles is at prop and Jon Dye at No 8, while David Falconer returns at lock for Scott Davidson.

Ben Stevenson has gone back to Durham City, so former Wakefield scrum half Ben Mason deputises for Andy Foreman.

City visit Hartlepool Rovers in the Intermediate Cup, in which Blaydon reached the final last season. But there are no North-East clubs of North One status in the event this year as Middlesbrough and Darlington were both in the Senior Knockout Cup and both are already out, leaving them looking for fixtures tomorrow.

Among the highest ranked North-East teams in the Intermediate Cup is Stockton, who have a first round bye and are to play Driffield in a friendly.

The North Division One club, who lost at home to Darlington last week, have agreed to travel to Stockton.

Skipper Alan Brown makes his first appearance of the season at No 8 for Stockton, with Phil Austen switching to deputise for lock Mark Skirving, who has a gashed hand. Gary Skirving is at prop as Craig Chapman has a back injury.