Running out eventual 29-20 victors, Seaton were slow to start, as perhaps was to be expected with eight players unavailable through injury or other commitments, and the visitors racked up twenty points without reply within thirty minutes, courtesy of three tries, a conversion and a penalty. Indeed the deficit could have been much greater had Bishop Auckland not squandered several kickable penalty attempts. During this period, despite some good individual efforts, Seaton showed a marked lack of cohesion but the signs were there that improvement was on its way, not least when Andrew Shadforth was denied a score by a dubious forward pass decision. The seasiders ended the half looking the stronger team, particularly in forward plays, and on the thirty five minute mark Norman stormed over and Craig Moffatt added the conversion to produce a 7-20 scoreline at the interval. Immediately from the kick-off, Bishop's possession was destroyed by a big hit from Alan Ainsley, who had tackled ferociously all afternoon, and, having secured the ball from a resulting line-out, Norman added try number two from twenty two metres. Bishop Auckland too have their injury worries, especially in the front row, and for the last thirty minutes the game was played with uncontested scrums. This denied Seaton one of their most potent weapons but in both line-out and loose play the were now dominant. Following a long period of pressure inside the visitor's 22, Dan Charlton took a quick tap penalty and Simon Ashton crashed over to further reduce the deficit. There followed a period of largely inconsequential midfield play but Seaton took the lead on the thirty minute mark through a Moffatt penalty. Ashton reclaimed the re-start ball and Ainsley and the pack powered their way deep into opposition territory to provide the platform for Norman's final try. Moffatt added two second half conversions.
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