DARLINGTON MOWDEN PARK make their final outing of the year tomorrow when they welcome Sale FC to the Darlington Arena.

The game forms part of a busy day at the club, with DMP Elizabethans taking on Barnard Castle in a 12pm curtain raiser.

Mowden come into the game on the back of an improved team performance against Leicester Lions last time out which saw them halt a run of three straight defeats. Tries from Harry Yates (2), Max Fraine and Callum Pascoe helped Mowden to a sixth win of the season, with their defence impressing for the second week in a row.

This weekend’s game represents Mowden's closest derby of the season, with Sale making the relatively short trip to the North-East in Round 14.

The Manchester side have been one of the league’s form teams, winning four of their last five matches to climb to 12th in the table. Jonathan Keep’s side had endured a tough start to the campaign, winning just one of their first eight league games, before a resurgence in recent weeks.

Mowden ran out 28-21 winners in the reverse fixture at Heywood Road in September, and their forwards coach, Joe Cain, is hoping to do the double over their Northern rivals this weekend

He said: “Sale will be a completely different challenge from what Leicester brought to us last week. The way we defended last week is something as a group we were proud of and that’s something we are looking to continue this weekend.

"It would be great for us to take back-to-back wins into the Christmas break and the lads will be giving everything they’ve got to achieve it. Fingers crossed we can put out a solid performance and come away with what could be a very important win.”

Mowden  have made three changes to the side that started in the win over Leicester Lions last time out. Max Fraine, Talite Vaioleti and Henry Hadfield all come in to start, with Ollie Hodgson missing out through a thumb injury sustained last week.

The National One clash follows on from DMP Elizabethans against Barnard Castle in Durham & Northumberland 2.

Entry to the Elizabethans game is free of charge via the CrossBar, with tickets to the main fixture available on the day priced at £12 for adults and free for Under-16s.