TYNEDALE tuned up for this week’s visit of Blaydon by ending a lean run with a 34-15 win at Wharfedale.

They led 27-0 at half-time with outstanding winger Hamish Smales scoring two of the four tries, while Harry Peck had a fine game at scrum half.

Goal-kicking has been a problem, but fly half Matty Outson landed two conversions and a penalty and was on target from the touchline when replacement Alex Fieldhouse scored the second half try.

Wharfedale improved after the break, scoring three unconverted tries, but they were never going to overhaul the deficit.

The battle for second place in National Two North between Darlington Mowden Park and Hull Ionians was postponed until February 9.

The visitors wanted an early decision, and as heavy rain had fallen on what had been a frozen pitch, it was decided to err on the side of caution.

Mowden’s match this week is at Westoe, who lost 52-5 away to unbeaten leaders Stourbridge, who scored three tries in the first 17 minutes and added five more. It was 38-0 before back row man Richard Thirkell scored for Westoe.

West Hartlepool remain next to the bottom of National Three North after losing 36-10 at home to leaders Chester, despite having the edge up front with four strikes against the head. Chester’s speedy backs made the difference, running in five tries.

The first resulted from West being slow to react when an early penalty came back off a post and they trailed 22-3 at the break. They tried to fight back, but good defence kept them out and Chester broke out to score again before replacement lock Ben Lloyd crashed over from ten metres for West. Stu Waites converted from wide out to add to his penalty.

Billingham lost 21-20 at Bradford and Bingley after leading 20-7 at the break through two tries by Joe Evans, whose brother Peter added the goal points.

For the second successive week Middlesbrough lost at home to a try from the final move of the match in North One East.

There had been few injuries, but it came in the eighth minute of added time and to add to the agony the conversion went in off a post to give Northern a 13-11 win.

Although the forwards struggled to secure good ball, Boro were on top in the first half and, despite having two men in the sin-bin, they scored a good try just before the interval to lead 11-0.

It was touched down by winger Connor Foley from a perfectly-judged cross-kick by fly half Simon O’Farrell, who also kicked two penalties.

With prop Matthew Helm and lock Lee Theakston having to retire, the reshuffled pack was under pressure in the second half. But Boro defended well to restrict their visitors to two penalties until the forwards drove over at the death.

Darlington’s hopes that a third successive win would lift their hopes of getting out of the bottom two were dashed by a 21-15 defeat at Keighley after leading 15-9 at half-time.

Prop Joe Oselton scored a catch-and-drive try then centre Henry Carver finished off a move by going under the posts. Mark Baldwin converted and added a penalty, but on a heavy pitch Darlington were ground down in the second half.

Stockton’s 31-12 win at Consett re-ignited their promotion hopes in D and N One as they are only a point behind second-placed Guisborough, who lost by the same scoreline at Hartlepool Rovers. Acklam’s 29-19 defeat of Gateshead also helped.

On a heavy pitch, fly half Jeremy Good kicked Stockton into an early lead with a penalty but Consett responded with a converted try.

Prop Ben D’Cunha was then driven over and winger Dan Phinn converted before Stockton stretched away with three more tries from replacement full back Andy Bare, prop Andy Bailes and centre Joel Simpson. Phinn converted three and kicked a further penalty.