Darlington 28 (Tries: Palmer, Brown, P Lee, Croxier. Con: Davis. Pens: Davis 2.).
Preston Grasshoppers 17 (Tries: McKenna, Viney, Wilson. Con: Bailey.).
Darlington took all five points on offer in the win over Preston Grasshoppers.
Lee Davis kicked the home side ahead with a 6th minute penalty goal and in the 10th minute they went further ahead when lock Stewart Palmer and with No 8 Alan Brown getting his 20th try of the season on 16 minutes Darlington were 13-0 ahead.
Hoppers managed to get off the mark on 20 minutes when full back Owen McKenna went over and Paul Bailey converted.
Before half time the home side got a third try with fly half Paul Lee touching down for a 18-7 half time lead.
Hoppers started the second half the better and were just a point behind after 53 minutes after tries from centre Oliver Viney and scrum half Darren Wilson to make it 18-17.
Davis kicked a second penalty goal on 64 minutes before wrapping the win up in the 75th minute when left wing Simon Crozier touched down.
Hull Ionians 10 (Tries: Boyd, Acton.).
Tynedale 8 (Try: S Johnson. Pen: Belgian.).
After beating league leaders Nuneaton last week Tynedale were brought right back down to earth at Hull Ionians going down to a narrow 10-8 defeat.
The home side too the lead on the half hour mark with fly half Glen Boyd touching down for an unconverted try and they took the 5-0 lead into the half time break.
The visitors were level just after the break with flanker Stuart Johnson going over for a try. They went ahead in the 54th minute when Phil Belgian slotted over a penalty goal.
The winning score came in the 72nd minute when replacement flanker Gary Acton touched down and Ionians were two point winners.
Kendal 12 (Tries: Park, Armstrong. Con: Park.).
Blaydon 44 (Tries: Kyle 3, Fenby 2, Barber, I Segi, Graney. Cons: Clappison 2, Graney 2.).
Blaydon moved into second place with Bradford & Bingley defeating Nuneaton after this eight try display at bottom of the table Kendal.
It was the home side that took the lead when full back Chris Park went over for a 4th minute try and added the conversion to make it 7-0.
It took the visitors just three minutes to respond with right wing Andrew Fenby touching down and Dan Clappison converting. James Kyle still playing at scrum half got the second Blaydon try and Clappison again converted for 14-7 after 19 minutes. Centre Martin Armstrong got Kendal right back in it five minutes later to make it 14-12.
Fenby completed a double before the break for his 9th try of the season and a 19-12 half time lead.
The second half saw Blaydon dominate the scoring with five more tries as Kyle went on to score a hat trick and move into double figures for the season.
Leicester Lions 10 (Tries: Collins, Shepherd.).
Fylde 32 (Tries: Royle, Atkinson. Cons: Scott 2. Pens: Scott 6.).
With the benefit of the strong wind in the first half, Fylde built a 19-5 lead by half-time. But it had started so promisingly as Lions' dangerous winger Gareth Collins opened the scoring with a try after 4 minutes. Mike Scott's metronomic right boot started the comeback in the 8th minute as the Lions committed a string of offences as Fylde penned them in their half. He struck penalties on 8, 11, 17 and 20 minutes to give his side a 12-5 lead. Prolific winger Nick Royle then stamped his impression on the game with a trademark try after 27 minutes. He received the ball well inside his own half and basically ran around most of the Lions' side. It was an extraordinary effort which was converted by Mike Scott. 19-5 at the break.
Playing into the strong wind, the 2nd half was always going to be tougher. But on 46 minutes there was another Fylde try by flanker Andy Atkinson, converted again by Scott. The Lions came back with a try by lock Richard Shepherd to make the score 10-26.
Three minutes later another penalty by Scott took the score to 29-5 and the match was as good as won by the visitors. A final penalty by Scott on 67 minutes gave him 22 points and an overall 32-10 win. This was a masterful demonstration of goal kicking in difficult conditions by the Fylde skipper.
Fylde's general performance was disciplined and focused. Danny Waller jumped like a Salmon and won copious lineout ball.
Fylde coach Stuart Connell said: "The coaching staff were delighted that the players responded after the disappointment of last week at DMP. The senior players took their responsibilities very seriously and gave leadership - and everyone contributed. Nick Royle's try was special but Mike Scott's goal kicking was literally unbelievable. In a fierce and bitter wind he kicked goals from all over the park, with the wind, against the wind, from the right and wrong side for a right footed kicker. He kicked eight goals and narrowly missed one. Its one of the best displays of kicking in difficult conditions that I've ever seen."
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Macclesfield 27 (Tries: Kerr, Keep, Winney. Cons: Winney 3. Pens: Winney 2.).
Darlington Mowden Park 18 (Tries: Foreman, Dixon. Con: Mellalieu. Pens: Mellalieu 2).
In the relegation battle with Darlington Mowden Park, Macclesfield came out on top, but made dreadfully hard work of doing so, particularly after cruising into a seventeen point lead, in spite of missing three easy kicks at goal in the first ten minutes. The Blues did everything they could to contrive to throw the game away, but although MP came close to get to 20-18, a try from Ross Winney, late on, sealed the game in the end. However, a disappointing performance or not, Macc have moved clear of relegation for the time being, but face a difficult few weeks to make sure of their status. Of the eight remaining fixtures, the team will be looking to victories in at least four of them to ensure they remain in the National League.
Player coach Dave Muckalt said afterwards: “We had a pleasing first twenty minutes and knocked Mowden Park backwards. But only man of the match Jonnie Keep and Tim Kerr were able to maintain this standard for the duration of the game.
Poor concentration and communication presented our visitors with scoring opportunities, without them creating any of their own chances.
However we showed good character to hold onto a game which could easily have slipped away from us. I just hope that this win will rejuvenate the confidence in the squad, which will be needed to get us through the last eight games.”
The Blues were immediately on to the attack and forced Darlington into conceding no less than three kickable penalties in the first eleven minutes, all of which were missed, but after twelve minutes, Winney finally found his range to put Macc into the lead. Then, after eighteen minutes, the Blues moved the ball wide and then brought it back to the supporting Kerr who forced his way over. The visitors’ cause was not helped further when Stainsby was sin binned.
It was little surprise therefore, that in his absence, Macc went further ahead with a push over try, claimed by Keep, after a couple of abortive attempts to score through catch and drives. Winney converted and the Blues were comfortable.
But then, concentration lapsed and Mowden Park were allowed back into the game before the half had finished, with first a penalty then a converted try from Foreman.
The visitors made the most of Macc’s inability to put them to the sword, with another try soon after the break, with a try from Dixon after some pathetic attempts to tackle from the Blues defence. (17-15).
Macc increased the pressure once again and flanker Rick Jones was unlucky to be adjudged held up from a rolling maul, but mistakes were being made and there was little cohesion in the backs, and it took until the sixty third minute before Winney struck with another penalty to give Macc a five point buffer, but when Mallalieu replied with ten minutes left, the Blues were holding on. However, when Winney waltzed his way through to score a good individual try and convert, Macc had the breathing space to win the game and take the points.
New Brighton 16 (Try: Tuipulotu. Con: Dean. Pens: Dean 3.).
Cleckheaton 29 (Tries: Gwilliam, Lamptey, Akroyd 2. Cons: Quinn 3. Pen: Quinn.).
Just what Cleckheaton needed as they look to climb clear of the relegation zone.
Two tries in the opening 16 minutes saw them go into a 12-0 lead with tries from centre Tom Gwilliam and prop Jim Lamptey and Chris Quinn adding a conversion and then a penalty to make it 15-0.
Stephen Dean responded with a penalty for the home side but before half time the visitors got a third try as No 8 Oliver Akroyd touched down and Quinn converted to make it 22-3.
In the second half Dean kicked a penalty goal for the home side but on 47 minutes Cleckheaton got the fourth try and the bonus point with Akroyd completing a double and Quinn converting for 29-6.
Dean added a third penalty goal and in the final minutes Kati Tuipulotu went over for a try, his 11th of the season, and Dean converted but by then the game was over and Cleckheaton picked up five very valuable points.
Nuneaton 14 (Try: Peacock. Pens: Stimpson 3).
Bradford & Bingley 17 (Tries: Jacobsz, Heta. Cons: Rhodes 2. Pen: Rhodes.).
The home side made the perfect start with centre Jody Peacock touching down in the first minute for a 5-0 lead which in the end was the only score of the first half.
Seven minutes into the second half and the visitors were ahead when No 8 Stephanus Jacobsz went over for a try and Tom Rhodes converted.
Tim Stimpson kicked two penalties in the 51st and 57th minutes to regain the lead at 11-7.
But the Bees came back and regained the lead in the 68th minute with scrum half Joe Heta going over for a try and Rhodes converted to make it 14-11.
Stimpson kicked a penalty a minute later and it was all square. The wining score came in the 74th minute with a drop goal from Rhodes. . |
