Darlington Mowden Park moved level with Chester at the top of National Three North when they won 28-24 at Penrith.

While Chester's unbeaten record ended at Sandal, Mowden scored four converted tries to emerge with full points from a tough encounter which featured plenty of good rugby.

They led 28-10 with 15 minutes to go but Penrith came back with two converted tries before the Mowden forwards ran down the clock in the remaining five minutes.

The backs always looked dangerous and after going 3-0 down fly half Grant Connon shot through a gap from 25 metres for the first try.

Centre Chris McTurk finished a good move before the home forwards exerted some pressure and the ball was moved out for a winger to score, making it 10-14 at half-time.

Mowden's forwards and backs inter-linked well before a good pass from debutant lock Tom Shepherd sent flanker Graeme Seddon over.

Further pressure was rewarded when full back Paul Shepherd joined the line and broke two tackles to score, Connon adding his fourth conversion.

A poor clearance allowed the Penrith scrum half to race through from his own half to start the fightback, but Mowden held out comfortably enough.

West Hartlepool ended a run of three defeats with a 23-11 home win against Bradford and Bingley, despite lock Andrew Davies further tarnishing his disciplinary record.

He was sent off for a second yellow card offence with 15 minutes left after disputing a penalty which narrowed the gap to 16-11.

With the wind behind him Stu Waites landed his third and fourth penalties of the second half to stretch the lead and he converted an interception try by Greg Edwards in injury time.

West had fallen behind to a fourth minute try, but Andrew Foreman darted over in the right corner to level the scores.

Just before half-time West drove a line-out 15 metres before Stephen Stockdale peeled off to score. Bees kicked a penalty in added time to make it 10-8 at the interval but added only the one penalty after the break.

Blaydon lost 46-15 away to unbeaten National One leaders Ealing Trailfinders, who are clearly beating a financially well-backed path up the leagues.

Blaydon handed a first start to ex-Stockton winger Tom Jeffery, but it was his opposite number, Phil Chesters, who shone as a hat-trick took his tally to 16 tries for the season.

There was little to choose between the packs, but Ealing took their chances better, two of Chesters' tries coming from an interception and a chip over the top which bounced kindly.

With full back Niall Rowark taking on the kicking duties, Blaydon led 3-0 until the 19th minute, when they conceded three tries in four minutes. Lock Sean English then scored from a catch-and-drive, but Ealing's fourth try gave them a 26-8 half-time lead and Chesters scored straight afterwards.

Blaydon then enjoyed a lengthy period of dominance in which their only reward was a converted try by No 8 Jason Smithson.

They lost both props, Micky Ward (shoulder) and Robbie Kalbraier (knee), and were down to 14 men as the last 20 minutes were played with uncontested scrums, during which Ealing added two more tries.

Ward is doubtful for this week's visit of Jersey.

Tynedale lost 39-28 at Fylde, for whom flanker Evan Stewart scored four tries for a 39-8 lead before the visitors hit back with four tries in the last half hour.

They had also scored the first through flanker Grant Beasley, who added his second at the death.

Tynedale's other tries came from wingers Peter Cole and Allan Rogers, plus replacement back row man Greg Irvine. None were converted but fly half Matty Outson landed a penalty.

Westoe drew level with Loughborough at the top of National Two North when No 8 Ollie Stedman enjoyed a tally of 18 points in a 35-12 home win against Otley.

Ahead of his hearing at Brighouse this evening after being sent off recently, Stedman scored two tries and added two penalties and a conversion against a team whose player-coach is Tom Rock, formerly with Blaydon.

Stedman ran from halfway for his second try, the others coming from winger Daniel Rundle, fly half David Haswell and full back Ryan Beattie.

Billingham stayed top of North One East with a 50-5 home win against Durham City, while Stockton kept the pressure on leaders Darlington in Durham and Northumberland One by winning 25-22 at Alnwick.

Jeremy Good clinched victory by landing a penalty from the ten-metre line with the final kick of the match for Stockton, who were still two men down after three yellow cards in quick succession.

Lock Matt Doherty was sin-binned for taking a player out in mid-air, No 8 Scott Powell for a team offence and Craig Lee for not releasing.

While they were down to 12 Alnwick scored under the posts to draw level, but the conversion was charged down.

Doherty and winger Dan Phinn (2) scored Stockton's tries, with Good adding two conversions and two penalties.

Darlington's four-try bonus point from the 38-10 home win against Sunderland took them four points clear.

Centre Andy Pugh and fly half Henry Carver both touched down twice, with lock Chris Oakley and No 8 Chris Ward adding the others. Carver also kicked four conversions.