It was another five pointer - and another great day for the club as the Stags won 38-7 and the Bucks by 21-13.

The firsts would have won by an even bigger margin, if any of our kickers had brought the right boots, with only one penalty to show for half a dozen or more attempts.

But we did run in in four tries in a tremendous first twenty minutes which had promotion rivals City rocking.

Last week we conceded three early tries - only to come back strongly to score five of our own. But there was never any prospect of City following suit as we gained another try scoring bonus point, putting us level at the top of North One East with Percy Park.

We took the game to City from the kick off, forcing the home pack onto the backfoot with Gareth Foreman making a break from a ruck after just two minutes. He was held up five metres out but Adam Larkin was in support to power over.

Three minutes later the big West contingent were cheering again. This time the pack drove City back onto their line and it was scrum half Foreman who emerged triumphant. Paul Moss missing again with the conversion.

With just eight minutes on the clock it was Darren Thomas’s turn. Colin Cheslin intercepted just outside the our 22 and sent Dash racing down the left touchline. Right winger Chris Metcalfe failed with his tap tackle attempt and Thomas outpaced the cover over the final 50 metres. Scott Jordan stepped forward to take the conversion but he also missed a relatively easy shot.

City did reduce the arrears with a penalty from Arnie Stevenson which was cancelled out by one from Scott Jordan.

We kept the pressure up and scored what may prove to be the try of the season after 20 minutes.

Once again it began just outside the visitor’s 22. Andrew Davies put in a tremendous tackle on home skipper Kevin Showler and the ball broke loose.

West hooker Liam Bailey was straight onto it and the ball was quickly recycled to fly half Gareth Foreman who went left bringing full back Scott Jordan into play.

He made forty metres before offloading to Colin Cheslin who set off a series of offloads from the tackle, seemingly featuring half the West team, as the ball was sped back across right to thwart the desperate cover.

Adam Larkin on the opposite wing was the man to finish it off and score a try which had the sporting home supporters applauding as loudly as their visitors.

A landslide was in prospect, but a combination of West stepping off the gas and City upping their aggression, meant the remaining hour was much more hard fought.

We continued to have the better of the play but poor goal kicking meant that City were always just a couple of scores behind.

The home side did get a try back on 51 minutes, with outside centre AJ Smith finishing off a neat move, but West were never in any real danger of having to dig deep.

Our best spell of pressure ended when we Anth Carr was penalised at a scrum for driving at replacement Alex whitfield who shot upright from a scrum under the home posts.

The West players complained that the City player hadn't been binding and at the very next scrum Whitfield was yellow carded for, apparently, not binding. It was that sort of second half.

The excellent Paul Rudd was replaced by a patient Joe Rafferty at No 8, and both Michael Hogan and Gavin Robinson came on at the end when Steve Havery awarded a scrum. But they didn't see any action as he then blew for time after yellow carding home prop Mike Hay.


Durham City: Rob Smith, Chris Metcalfe, AJ Smith, Will Kirtley, [Richard Knowles 40], Peter Van Loo, Arnie Stevenson, Jeff Roberts , Mike Hay, John Nichols [Alex Whitfield 40], Benny Parkinson, Kevin Showler, Stuart Smithson, Grant Thompson, Tom Hand [Howard Johnson 40], Ryan Dawson.
Tries AJ Smith
Penalty; Arnie Stevenson

Yellow: Benny Parkinson, Mike Hay, Alex Whitfield.

West: Scott Jordan, Adam Larkin, Colin Cheslin, Paul Moss Gavin Robinson 79], Darren Thomas, Gareth Foreman, Andrew Foreman, Anth Carr, Liam Bailey, Stephen Stockdale, Andrew Davies [Michael Hogan 79/, Tom Dixon, Dan Boatman, Jon Boatman, Paul Rudd [Joe Rafferty 70].
Tries Adam Larkin [2], Darren Thomas, Andrew Foreman.
Penalty. Scott Jordan.
Yellow: Jon Boatman

Referee: Steve Havery