It was the away side who came hurtling out of the blocks as they raced into a 12-0 lead on the back of early tries from Ben Frankland and wing Brandon Asher-Wood, the latter set-up by a clever chip from fly-half Garry Law which was subsequently spread wide for the speedster to touch down on the right.

Yet Rams got to work and struck back when a sublime cross-field kick from Drew Humberstone was collected by Henry Bird, and a couple of phases later, the ball found Connor Hayhow to dot down on the right.

The hosts cut the gap to two points shortly afterwards as their dominant scrum got to work, two consecutive penalties on the DMP five-metre line preceding a pushover score finished off by captain Robbie Stapley.

Things got even worse for the away side shortly after as prop Ralph Appleby was sin-binned for another infringement at the scrum, but the northerners coped superbly and actually extended their advantage with a brace of Law penalties.

Trailing 18-10 at the interval, it was Rams who this time came flying forward from the restart, and Park suffered a second yellow card when Euan McKirdy tackled Humberstone without the ball.

On this occasion the hosts made the most of their numerical advantage, a carbon-copy of the second try seeing Stapley claim the honours on his 175th start for the club.

Rowan Grundy this time landed the conversion, and his side then hit the front for the first time with the score of the afternoon.

Some slick hands off the top of a line-out saw the ball down the line, and full-back Michael Dykes then showed a blistering turn of foot to scorch in from some 45 metres out.

Grundy slotted the extras for 24-18, and things got even better for Rams as Hayhow’s interception saw him sprint clear before unselfishly setting-up Jak Rossiter to go over to the right of the posts.

With the conversion on target the hosts had a 13-point lead, but as their discipline started to waver, DMP hit back with Law adding the extras to a close-range try from centre Callum Mackenzie.

Rams’ nerves were somewhat allayed with their sixth try of the afternoon, and the third from the base of a scrum, replacement James McRae this time adding the finishing touches for his maiden effort for the club.

Mowden Park refused to give up, though, and with Hayhow now in the bin for a knock-on, gave the home side a further scare when McKirdy sniped over with a minute to play, the excellent Law again on target.

Yet Tom Vooght managed to force a knock-on following the restart, and with the scrum holding firm, Drew Humberstone booted the ball off to seal a seventh win in eight games.

Summary

Rams 36–32 Darlington Mowden Park

Rams

Tries: Hayhow 17, Stapley 25, 43, Dykes 51, Rossiter 55, McRae 70.

Conversions: Grundy 44, 52, 56.

Yellow Card: Hayhow 76

Darlington Mowden Park:

Tries: Frankland 3, Asher-Wood 9, Mackenzie 60, McKirdy 78.

Conversions: Law 4, 61, 79

Penalties: Law 35, 38

Half Time: 10-18

Star man: Ant Marris (Rams)

Attendance: 320

Referee: Adam Wookey

Teams:

Rams (15-9; 1-8): Dykes, Bird, Hayhow, Humberstone, Rossiter, Grundy, Cole; Marris, Henderson, Baker, Taylor, Thomson, Guttridge, Vooght (vc), Stapley ©

Substitutes: Hayman, Englezos, McRae, Leicester, Boyland.

Darlington Mowden Park (15-9, 1-8): Jarvis, Asher-Wood, Frankland, Mackenzie, Checksfield, Law, McKirdy; Appleby, Shannon, Guest, Fisher, Davies, Craggs, Jones, Hodgson ©

Substitutes: Grant, Crickmay, Lockwood, Yandell, Broadhead.