Mowden Park on top, but Billingham impress

A LOSING bonus point was the least Billingham deserved for the skill and determination they brought to a gripping game.

Had Peter Evans’ goal-kicking matched his general play they might well have won, although Mowden were unlucky to have a late try ruled out for a foot in touch.

Billingham have beaten only the one team below them, Rochdale, since their promotion to National Three North. But on this evidence they are getting to grips with the higher level and they again ensured bags of entertainment.

When even a prop forward – Danny Dixon – delivers a pass between his legs there’s a hint of the Harlem Globetrotters.

But while Billingham conjured a brilliant length-of-the-field try, they are learning that the exhibition stuff alone will not sustain their climb up the leagues.

They defended ferociously in the first half and did well to trail only 13-5. After conceding a soft penalty on the resumption it seemed their resistance might run out of gas, as it did at Middlesbrough.

Instead they got on top and were threatening to steal a victory when Mowden’s desperation saw skipper Danny Brown yellow carded just as Rob Eatough was returning from the sin bin with ten minutes left.

Tempers had just become a little flared in a cleanly-contested game after Billingham’s combative winger Paul Shepherd unwisely engaged Mowden’s player-coach Pete Taylor in a grappling match.

Taylor retired shortly afterwards to allow replacement hooker Andrew Tonkin to come on for Brown, and Billingham were sensing victory until they lost the ball and almost conceded a breakaway try to Charlie Simpson- Daniel.

Billingham lack beef, but what flanker Dave Robinson lacks in stature he made up for in tenacity and Mowden’s ball-carriers rarely made the expected progress.

They were well on top when Dixon was sin-binned in the first half, driving a maul ten metres before shunting a scrum towards the line. They opted for another scrum when awarded a penalty for a high tackle under the posts, but nothing came of it and ten minutes of pressure almost went unrewarded.

But just before half-time Ben Snook almost got to the line and when the ball came back Eatough, his fellow centre, took it on the burst to crash over.

Gavin Painter converted then added his third penalty just after half-time, when full back Craig Shepherd failed to release the ball after being pinned when trying to run out of his own 22.

None of Painter’s kicks were difficult, but neither were the conversion and penalty which were badly pulled by Evans.

Billingham’s first try was slightly fortunate as an attempted clearance was deflected skywards and fell kindly for scrum half Adrian Evans to scamper over.

After 20 minutes fly half Joe Evans looped round to send Craig Shepherd on a piercing run to the 22, from where the penalty was missed.

Mowden might have expected to pull away after going 16-5 ahead, but found themselves having to defend stoutly. When they did get close to the line midway through the second half they lost the ball and Billingham shipped it out for the Shepherds to make ground up the left.

The ball was quickly recycled and spun right with Peter Evans finding his brother Michael, who stepped inside a tackle 45 metres out and showed impressive acceleration for a No 8 to race under the posts.

This time the simple conversion was successful, but Billingham were left to rue the earlier misses