AT one stage in this match a full 30 seconds elapsed without referee Matthew Daubney blowing his whistle.

He appears to be a member of a new breed of younger referees determined to officiate to the letter of the law, and at a time when rugby has a chance to cash in on growing boredom with football they are doing the game a huge disservice. If they are obeying instructions from above then the higher body needs to get a life.

Any casual observer popping along to see how Darlington have established themselves in the top six of National Three North would have been put off for life.

Those of us who had to suffer it were tempted to cancel all social arrangements for Saturday evening as the interminable stoppages and lectures threatened to prolong matters well beyond nightfall.

With one of the touch judges determined that Mr Daubney would not hog all the limelight, the match had no chance of flowing.

It was a shame that it happened after Darlington had been led out by exciting full back Apenai Kororua to mark Fijian independence day. Such a lack of spectacle would be unthinkable on a rugby field in Fiji.

After winning 23-8 at New Brighton in the cup last week, Darlington probably thought it was going to be easy, but they ended up being drawn into a dogfight after almost being penalised off the park in the first half.

It was a game they would have lost in previous seasons but at least they showed they now have the strength and experience up front to grind out a win, which moved them up to fifth.

They trailed 6-5 at the break and although they won the try-count 4-0, the lack of a goal-kicker meant it was too close for comfort.

As in the cup tie none of the four tries were converted, but in a more positive action replay Rob Stewart again scored one try from scrum half and one from the wing.

Prop Dan Miller was absent with a knee injury and hooker David Taylor had to retire after 25 minutes, but Joe Oselton and Rob Goddard proved able deputies.

The superior scrum produced a pushover try touched down by No 8 Alan Brown, who was third in the Player of the Month awards for this division in September.

His experience was invaluable as Darlington took the only sensible option and relied on their forwards to score the three second half tries.

The one in the first half stemmed indirectly from Ben Snook pulling a penalty. Richard Snowball caught the drop-out and set up a maul from which Stewart broke away up the blind side to score from 25 metres out.

Fly half Steve Dean had given the visitors the lead after two minutes with the first of his five penalties and landed his second from 35 metres after 25 minutes.

Darlington were well on top for the rest of the half, but nothing would go right. Goddard burst round the back of a line-out but his off-load to the lively Phil Dawson was adjudged forward.

Then the other flanker, Del Lewis, drove over without convincing Mr Daubney that he had got the ball down and from the ensuing scrum the ball was turned inside and knocked on.

Darlington knew what they had to do and five minutes after the break Brown burst off a driving maul on the 22 and got within ten metres. Another maul was set up and Lewis was driven over.

Anyone not releasing the ball immediately he hit the deck was penalised and it happened to home skipper Paul Lee after he took a quick drop-out to himself, presenting Dean with an easy chance to make it 10-9.

Then came the pushover try and things livened up a little when David Andrew went on at scrum half for the last 20 minutes, Stewart switching to the wing.

He scored his second try in the left corner when he spun out of a tackle after being fed on the short side of a maul five metres out.

That made it 20-9 with 15 minutes left but there was little chance of pulling away as the penalty count continued to mount and Dean landed two more.

His last one was well into added time and Darlington were never in real danger.

Result: Darlington 20, New Brighton 15.