FOLLOWING a 39-26 home defeat by Fylde, Darlington will finish fifth in National Three North, six places above Mowden Park, who signed off with a 65-38 defeat at Preston Grasshoppers.

Other than enjoying the final game, Mowden's only aim was to secure one point to ensure they didn't finish third from the bottom.

Although the RFU announced a few weeks ago that only two would go down, they have been known to change their minds.

The battle to avoid 12th place had always looked likely to be tight and the four-try bonus point Mowden picked up meant they were one of three teams on 52 points, finishing below Macclesfield and above Leicester Lions on points difference.

The fact they were 41 points clear of the bottom two suggested it would have been an injustice for any of them to go down.

Darlington's position will not be affected by their rearranged match at home to leaders Bradford and Bingley on May 6 and even then their season might not be over.

As well as staging their annual Junior Festival this weekend, they visit Blaydon for the Durham Cup semi-final tomorrow with the final scheduled for Wednesday, May 24.

If Darlington do get through, their opponents are again likely to be Westoe, the team they beat in the 2005 final, only to have the trophy withheld when county officials decided Alan Brown was ineligible.

That is the main reason why few, if any, Darlington players will be making themselves available for Durham in the County Championship, which starts next week and occupies three Saturdays. Hence the May 24 date for the cup final.

Darlington's hopes of avenging the opening day defeat at Fylde were ended by two minutes of madness in their own 22 just before half-time.

They gave the ball away and conceded two tries to trail 29-14 at the interval after leading 145. They then continued to allow the division's leading pointsscorer, Fylde fly half Mike Scott, to run the game.

Darlington hoped to continue where they left off in winning at Tynedale the previous week, but turned in a lacklustre performance and failed to win enough ball.

But after conceding an early try they went ahead through tries by flanker Phil Dawson and prop Joe Oselton, both converted by full back Lee Davis.

Fylde scored again after 26 minutes and a drop goal by Scott put them back in front before the two tries just before half-time were followed by another five minutes after the break.

Darlington tried to fight back and were awarded a penalty try for persistent infringement, then replacement winger Ben Snook scored after 63 minutes.

But that was as close as they got and Scott added a late penalty for Fylde.

Tackling was not the main priority in Mowden's match, in which the score stood at 38-38 ten minutes after half-time. Preston must then have tired as they slowed the game down and settled for tries from rolling mauls to secure victory.

Mowden achieved their fourtry bonus point before halftime as they came back from 19-0 down after ten minutes to be level at 31-31 at half-time.

Skipper Iain Dixon and lock Ian Robinson scored two tries each for Mowden, both completing their doubles in a sevenminute spell late in the first half which produced three tries.

Winger Matt Barker got the other and fly half Anthony Mellalieu, playing against his home club, landed three conversions to level the scores.

In the first minute of the second half Preston centre Paul Bailey scored his second try and, with six conversions and a penalty, he had a tally of 25 points.

Ten minutes later the scores were level again when Mellalieu converted a try by replacement flanker Andrew Tonkin. But Preston scored four more tries without reply.