This win means we can now finish no lower than 4th and still have an outside chance of stealing third place from Alnwick in the final round of games next week. The Northumbrians travel to runaway league champions Doncaster Phoenix for a championship celebration whilst we host already relegated Beverley at Brinkburn. We will need the full 5 points, hoping Alnwick gain none, and the small matter of overturning an 86 point differential. Unlikely maybe, but certainly not impossible. The game had to be moved to the second team pitch adjacent to the usual first team pitch after heavy overnight and morning rain had left it unusually wet underfoot. The game kicked off in bright sunshine though and conditions were pretty much perfect aside from a stiff breeze into our faces in the first half. After a blistering start we were on the board after a couple of minutes. Several surging carries marched us into the visitor’s 22 and Ryan Painter wriggled over for the try. Dinnington battled back from the early setback and converted the second of two penalty attempts, fly-half Chris Williams slotting from distance on 18 minutes after we were penalised for not rolling away.

Despite having the upper hand in the forwards, especially in the scrum, we struggled to carve out any clear scoring chances for most of the first half with some loose passing at crucial times proving costly. We eventually stretched the lead on the half hour with 2 tries in 2 minutes. It was Ryan Painter again to the fore, breaking away from a ruck just inside the Dinnington half for a superb solo score (above). He was involved again in the second - his kick over the top being allowed to bonce by the visiting defence and Gav Painter collected to feed Dan Boatman who in turn released Luke Mallinson for a simple run-in. Painter converted for a 17-3 lead.

Dinnington answered with an unconverted try from lively full-back Robert Leivars but we secured the bonus point before half time when Jay Corbett crashed over 2 minutes into first half injury time. Painter again added the extras.

As we had in the first we started the second half quickly with replacement Connor McLurg, on for the injured Sam Miller early in the game, finishing off from close range after a driving maul. It seemed as if it may open the floodgates but a combination of Dinnington retaining possession well and regular penalties frustrated us until the closing stages.

Dinnington replacement Jayden Kohika pulled them another try back on 63 minutes after a lovely offload from skipper Ryan Donnelly but a yellow card for flanker Jamie Shaw finished off any hopes of a miraculous comeback. Having already dominated the scrum throughout the game we took full advantage with two pushover tries in the last 4 minutes, Dan Boatman finishing off both and Painter converting.

West: Fewster, Willis, Edwards, Youll, Mallinson, G Painter, R Painter, Hogan, Rollins, Coates, Atkins, Bunter, Corbett, Boatman (capt), Miler.
Reps: Angus, McLurg, Southern

Tries: R Painter 2, Mallinson, Corbett, McLurg, Boatman 2
Cons: 4
YC: R Painter

Dinnington: Leivars, Humphries, Brown, Rodgers, Trueman, Williams, C Differ, Ufton, J Differ, Ross, Wood, Leitch, Shaw, Kohika-Skipper, Donnelly (capt).
Reps: Meese, Marsden, Kohika

Tries: Leivars, Kohika
Con: Williams
Pen: Williams
YC: Shaw

Referee: Barrett Aldwinckle [Durham Society]