Final score: Wharfedale 32 Darlington Mowden Park 18

THE 14 points Mowden conceded from two penalty tries proved the difference. But, as with the four yellow cards they received, they resulted from being under intense pressure.

They now know that when heroic defence crosses the line into desperation referees will punish them at National One level and unfortunately two yellows made a red for flanker Jack Allcock.

He had led an impressive back row performance with Ollie Hodgson and Guy van den Dries, but any hope of salvaging something disappeared with his 80th minute dismissal.

It came during a series of scrums in which Mowden were buckling and when the penalty gave Wharfedale the chance of another scrum the second penalty try resulted.

The first had come in similar circumstances. After the scrum was re-set three times it crabbed sideways, which hardly indicated that Wharfedale were certain to score.

But Cambridgeshire referee Gareth Holsgrove had obviously had enough.

He had begun by repeatedly penalising Wharfedale, who barely got their hands on the ball for the first ten minutes.

Garry Law missed his first attempt at goal but landed the second for Mowden to lead 3-0.

But their attempts to run the ball had merely reminded them that defences will be much tougher to break down at this level.

Switching Law to inside centre, with Mark Ireland at fly half, didn’t really work and the biggest attacking threat came from full back Henry Robinson, while winger Tom Kill hardly saw the ball.

As often happens when a side soaks up early pressure, the tide began to turn and Wharfedale went 6-3 ahead through a penalty and drop goal.

But shortly after sending on Matt Thompson for hooker Charlie Maddison, Mowden went back in front when Robinson jinked past four tackles and turned the ball inside for Law to score and convert.

The last ten minutes of the first half proved a big turning point, however. The penalties were now going in the hosts’ favour and after kicking one to the right corner they moved the ball out for full back Scott Jordan to make a break and send left winger Oli Cicognini over.

Wharfedale relied on their burly forwards to do the rest.

Pressure on the line resulted in Cameron Mitchell and Thompson being sin-binned in quick succession for illegal interference and a catchand- drive followed, again converted.

Against 13 men for the first seven minutes of the second half Wharfedale should have stretched their 18-10 lead.

But a poor restart allowed Mowden to keep the ball and make progress until Law kicked a simple penalty.

They held out until they were back up to full strength, but taking off prop Gareth Nesbit didn’t appear to help as Wharfedale’s increasing scrum dominance proved decisive.

Inbetween the two penalty tries Mowden did get back into it when a good attack took them almost to the line and a home prop was sinbinned.

Allcock finished off a catch-and-drive to make it 25- 18 but another attack ended with a dropped pass and the chance to mount a thrilling finale was gone.

It is now essential for Mowden to open their National One account with a home win this week against Cinderford, who have also lost their first two games.