MOWDEN Park eased to their third successive win on Saturday, but it will be a totally different proposition away to second-placed Nuneaton this week.

They will be without five players, including the Northumbria University contingent, who are going to take part in the Dubai Sevens.

Doubtless it will be a pleasant escape from the sort of numbing cold which hindered their attempts to run amok as they should have done against a very poor side.

New Brighton had nothing to offer and the margin flattered them after they scored a converted try at the death.

While Mowden have good cover in the forwards, the reshuffle in the backs caused by skipper Iain Dixon's absence will create most interest.

Despite the improvement brought by fly half Johann Booysen, the midfield handling is still a weakness and was one of the reasons why they didn't win by 50 points.

Dixon has also been the goal-kicker since Michael Breen's injury and his absence will give Booysen the chance to have another go.

New Brighton's only two players of note were in the back row, but even they were outplayed by Eni Gisende and Matt Holmes, while the home front row destroyed their opponents.

So dominant were Mowden up front it was only a matter of time before they scored. The trouble was it took 18 minutes.

They spent the previous 15 minutes camped in the visitors' 22 after Gisende led a counter-attack from his own 22.

It was continued by Fosita Tanginoa and Danny Brown before the chance of a glorious try was spoilt by Dixon turning back inside. He then struck the left post with a straight 23-metre penalty.

A penalty to the corner produced nothing when the line-out was lost, and so it went on until Booysen darted over in the left corner following a succession of five-metre scrums.

Lock Gavin Stainsby drove on from a scrum on the 22 and quick handling allowed winger Matt Barker to squeeze in at the right corner.

Stealing the ball from the visitors in the maul seemed elementary for Holmes and when he did it deep in his own half it almost produced a try as Gareth Kerr and Stainsby made ground before full back Seo Atelemo was stopped just short.

Two tries in the last five minutes of the first half, either side of a penalty by visiting fly half Steve Dean, gave the scoreline a more realistic look at 22-3.

First Kerr scorched 40 metres up the left wing to finish a counter-attack started by Atelemo, then after Dean's penalty New Brighton cleared the restart straight to prop Dave Sinclair.

He sold a dummy to the delight of the fans and the ball was twice recycled for Gisende to ride a tackle 15 metres out to score.

With Dubai-bound lock Anthony Peck struggling with an injury, Naude Pretorius went on early in the second half and the pressure was quickly back on after a break by lively flanker Ricky Bagier.

When the last of three line-out drives was illegally halted the visiting hooker was sin-binned and Holmes was driven over for Mowden's fifth try.

Dean kicked his second penalty to make it 27-6, but then Tanginoa charged down a kick on halfway and sent Booysen on a 40-metre run for his second try.

Dixon added his second conversion but spoilt the chance of a length-of-the-field try through his failure to deliver a well-timed pass. He did, however, score the final try by finishing off an attack up the left in which he was twice involved.

New Brighton never looked like crossing the line until their No 8 was driven over in injury time for what is usually described as a consolation try.

It would be scant consolation for a side who look doomed to relegation.

Result: Darlington Mowden Park 39, New Brighton 13.