A terrific achievement for the Stags given the strength of the league with National League sides Tynedale and Blaydon both featuring. With one piece of silverware won they'll be looking to add the Pyman Cup to the trophy cabinet over the next couple of weeks.

For the firsts it was a case of 'if only'. If only we'd only played like this a few more times on our travels this season we'd surely have finished some way further up the league table!

Boro had some early chances but having been held up over the line once they then spilt the ball a metre short and West were able to clear. Paul Moss opened the scoring with a penalty on 11 minutes as West started to dominate territory if not possession. Another penalty attempt from Moss on 25 minutes dropped short but 3 minutes before the break Paul Vinnicombe powered up the touchline after a lineout and crashed in at the corner for the opening try.

Middlesbrough hadn't had any attacking play to speak of since the opportunities in the opening minutes and Simon O'Farrell missed the chance for them to take something from the half when he pulled an injury time shot to the left of the posts.

When replacement Callum Campbell missed a shot at goal 15 minutes into the second half West gifted Boro a scoring opportunity by passing the ball back into the try area and touching down to give the hosts a 5 metre scrum. It looked like the gift had been gratefully received when Campbell jinked through a gaping hole to score only to be called back by the referee as the hole had been created by an obstruction.

O'Farrell resumed kicking duties with another shot on 62 minutes but this time it fell short and thankfully was cleared without mistake by West. Despite Boro having the best of the second half West were showing some flashes of good play and battled back into the game. Holes were beginning to appear in the defence but the crucial score didn't come until 5 minutes from time. Good work on the left from Jamie Connolly almost put Andy Cheslin in but when the ball was recycled a massive overlap on the right saw Iain Robinson collect and finish the simple try.

West rounded off a good afternoon with a try two minutes into injury time, Dan Boatman making the initial charge before slipping a great offload to Connolly who dived in for the score. Moss was again unsuccessful with the conversion.

Given the way the season has gone not many would have foreseen this result prior to the kick-off but West proved to themselves, and everyone else, that they can get results away from Brinkburn despite never really playing their best rugby. The 2008/09 campaign has certainly been a mixed-bag but a mid-table finish after promotion and consolidating in North 1 would have been taken by most people at the club pre-season. Let's hope we can build on this in 2009/10.


West: I Dixon, A Cheslin (Butcher), Hodgson, Connolly, C Cheslin, Moss, Thomas, Stewart (Carr), Sawyer, C Robinson, T Dixon, I Robinson, D Boatman, J Boatman (Smart), Vinnicombe.

Tries: Vinnicombe, I Robinson, Connolly
Pen: Moss

Middlesbrough: Bircham, Bland, Bellerby, Thornburn, Homan, O'Farrell, Whittaker, Warsama, R Horton, Chapman, Bradford, Hinchley, Duff, Howe, Barker.
Reps: C Horton, M Wright, Campbell

Referee: Jonathan Owen [C Yorks]