TWO bonus points from a 30-27 defeat away to joint leaders Richmond suggested that Darlington Mowden Park have quickly grown accustomed to competing at National One level.

They will now hope for a second home win this week against Macclesfield, who pipped them to the automatic promotion spot in the end-of-season thriller but have yet to gain a point.

Mowden looked to be on their way to a shock win when flanker Jack Allcock grabbed the bonus point try and Garry Law followed his conversion with a penalty to stretch the lead to nine points. But they were denied by tries in the 60th and 62nd minutes.

The lead kept changing hands in the first half, when Law set up two tries for winger Callum Mackenzie. Number eight Ollie Hodgson also touched down, but Mowden trailed by one point at the break and one try in the second half proved insufficient.

Mowden remain two points ahead of their victims the previous week, Cinderford, who broke their duck with a 32-28 win at home to previously unbeaten Tynedale.

Two penalties by fly half Brett Connon and a try by winger Sep Visser saw Tynedale go in level at 11-11 at half-time, but after a third penalty put them in front they conceded three converted tries in ten minutes.

Tynedale were also awarded a penalty try as they mounted a storming finish, which also saw centre Jack Harrison touch down. Connon converted both but they had to be content with a losing bonus point.

After winning their first two games in National Three North, Billingham suffered a second successive home defeat when they lost 39-34 to Sandal, despite a brace from centre Luke Wilson.

Westoe slipped to the bottom of the table when they lost 29-10 at Burnage, while in North One East West Hartlepool again recovered from a slow start to win 25-17 at Old Crossleyans courtesy of tries from Sam Miller (2) and Alex Barker.

Middlesbrough served notice that they can be a force in Yorkshire One when they roared back from 13-12 down to win 43-13 at home to Malton and Norton. Adam Nolson, Ashley Kearney, Rhys Kilbride (2), Simon O’Farrell (2) and Iain Bradford scored the tries.

Stockton lost their unbeaten record in Durham and Northumberland One when they were beaten 24-23 at home by Consett.

Two Jeremy Good penalties provided the only first-half points, but on the restart Consett kicked a penalty then scored two converted tries in two minutes.

The first was a penalty try after what was adjudged to be a high tackle and the second was a long-range effort.

Stockton hit back when Good found a gap wide on the left for an unconverted try, and five minutes later they ran the ball from their own half and full back Danny Phinn beat the Consett winger to score.

Stockton nosed 18-17 ahead when lock Liam Healey scored his first senior try after Simon Crozier hacked on and caught the ball on the bounce.

Consett quickly hit back to score a good converted try on the left and although Matty Oates forced his way over the line with five minutes to go it wasn’t enough for Stockton.

Darlington won 41-14 at home to Sunderland to move back into second place behind Morpeth, who survived a fightback by hosts Hartlepool Rovers to maintain their 100 per cent record with a 31-28 win.

Having trailed 33-13, Rovers earned two bonus points when they ran a failed penalty kick from their own line to score in the last minute of added time.