Back at Brinkburn in Counties 2  the Stags came up against a Darlington Mowden Park side which is now being described as a Development Team, and which has been bolstered by the number of signings the club has made since Newcastle Red Bulls took them under their wing.

 As a result they have been putting some big scores on the board and they did beat the Stags 22-54. However, the West second XV are the first side to gain a try bonus point against the Darlington outfit thanks to tries from Louis Ward, Tom Carling, Tyler Nelson and skipper Jonny Wray.  On his debut full back Ted Davies being awarded the West Man of the Match.

There were also a lot of tries at Medomsley Road in a game which began in bright sunshine and ended in fog with the floodlights on.

It took the home side only two minutes to get their first - slick hands sending full back Alexander Anderson over for an unconverted try.

West came straight back with Sam Knight, together with Max Tennant a threat throughout the game, powering his way down the right touchline. He found Ollie Connolly on his inside shoulder who was able to send fellow centre Will Hilditch in between the posts to give West the lead.

The advantage didn’t last long as Connolly lost the ball in a tackle in his own 22 with Consett quick to send in Kevan Slow at the corner. Scrum half George Chapman, one of two summer signings from Percy Park, adding the extras.

Worse was to come for West as Consett again took advantage of a handling error in their own half. Knight again made ground down the right and as he was tackled he flicked the ball back toward his supporting players. Unfortunately for West, it was home winger Ethan Renwick who was first to the ball and he was able to race unopposed from his own half to the posts.

The bonus point try was soon to come as the Consett backs showed some sharp handling as they raced up the right wing, resulting in Renwick getting his second. The conversion was wide, but at 24-7 down after just twenty minutes West were staring down the barrel.

The response was to set up camp in the home 22 and establishing a pattern of being awarded penalties and opting  for scrums.  Unfortunately, when  the ball was moved  left on two occasions the final pass went to ground. However,  the pressure did finally pay off with Connolly able to find a gap to dive over with Jobe Roxby slotting the conversion.

Six tries had been scored in the first half – all from backs. However, the seventh came from a forward on the stroke of half time as Consett prop Oli Smith forced his way over. His side making the most of opting for scrums when they were awarded penalties in the West  22.

At 29-14 down, and struggling in the line-out, West had a mountain to climb in the second half,  and it quickly got steeper as Renwick completed  his hat-trick after the home backs attacked up the right wing.

The conversion was missed,  but the margin was now 20 points and it was looking very unlikely that West would get anything out of the game. Instead, the visitors had the better part of the remaining half hour .

A long pass from Matt Siddle openeng up space on the right for Knight to set off on another of his runs, and when he was tackled just short Hilditch was in support to get his second – too far out for Roxby to convert.

In a game which was becoming a little fractious and verbal (why players whoop and holler when the referee merely decides to reset  a scrum is baffling)   Consett were marched back two sets of ten metres for upsetting referee Nick Evans. Matty Baggs was quick to react to the second, but the pass which sent skipper Chris Atkins storming into the home 22 was forward.

The visitors then succumbed to the final sucker punch of their afternoon. This time it was a pass from Connolly to Hilditch as West attacked the home line,  which was intercepted. South African centre Kevan Slow is anything but. He was uncatchable as he sprinted the 90 metres to complete his side’s try scoring and take the score to 41-19.

There was still time for West to get something from the game. Hooker Hayden Hodgson  ensuring a try bonus point with his first of the season by finishing off a catch  and drive (above).  Roxby converted then closed the margin to 12 points with a long range penalty,  which went over off a post.

As the fog drifted in tempers  became frayed with Knight reacting to a ball thrown at the back of his head by his opposite winger.  As the pushing and shoving escalated it was the last two players to get involved who were sent to the sin bin -  particularly bad news for Aidan Jackson-Smith as his yellow prevented any opportunity for him to maintain his record of scoring  in every game.

The final word did go to his side though - Connolly bursting through the fog (above) to produce a smart finish behind  the  posts in the very last play of the game to earn that second bonus point.

West now go into next week’s home game with Sunderland in fourth place. Kick off is at 2.00.

Consett: Alexander Andrews, Ehtan Renwick, Kevan Slow, Paul Spowart, Riley Bell, Will Groves, George Chapman, Oli Smith, Zak Ringer, Dan Loughran, Richard Tetley, Kieran Jervis, George Brain, Tom Wealleans, Yaree Fantini.

Reps (all used): Elijah Brooks-Bowen, Aaron Stephenson, Lewis Bowman.

Tries: Andrews, Renwick (3), Slow (2), Smith.

Cons:  Chapman (2)  Spowart.

Yellow: Wealleans.

West: Jobe Roxby, Sam Knight, Will Hilditch, Ollie Connolly, Max Tenannt, Matt Siddle, Matt Baggs, Liam Pennick, Hayden Hodgson, AndrewRoilkins, Elliot Reed, Ryan O’Keefe, Aidan Jackson-Smith, Peter Youll, Chris Atkins (capt).

Reps used Charlie Kay. Not used: Kyle Jamieson, Liam Liston.

Tries:  Hilditch (2), Connolly (2) Hodgson.

Cons: Roxby (4)

Pen: Roxby

Yellow: Jackson-Smith.

Referee: Nick Evans (Durham)