In truth it was a combination of their heavy pack shoving us around and a tendency to over elaborate in the backs which kept the score down.

Consett rarely looked like scoring after an opening flurry and only got into our 22 once in the second half.

They did go ahead with a penalty after six minutes but five minutes later young Darren Thomas spotted a gap and raced from the base of a maul to touch down under the posts.

After seventeen minutes Chris Webb hung our wide and seized his chance to come into the line and score a rare try which Stabs also converted.

It looked like the floodgates might open but Consett dug in on a very bumpy pitch and held out until just before half time when we had Mark Cholmondeley sin-binned for pulling down in the line-out. Tones came off to allow Geritz to take Chummers place and, in the event Stabler decided to leave Gez on once the ten minutes was up.

The youngsters were showing the way with Thomas having a superb game, Carlo Robinson putting in some big hits and Elom Lassey looking very pacy and dangerous. He put in one great forty yard break after superb work by Thomas and Kerr but was tackled on the line and the ref ruled he had been held up. Unlucky.

We continued to press in the second half going through a range of three quarter moves which almost came off. Jamie Connolly looked outstanding in this company and some clever moves with Stabs brought out the best in the home defence.

Elom almost got over in the corner again before we wrapped the game up after seventy five minutes. One of our moves eventually worked with Connolly powering his way through from 15 yards. He took two defenders with him but managed to ground the ball as the forwards poured in. Stabs again converted.

A satisfactory result specially considering that we were strapped for players with Stu Whitehead coming in and not putting a foot wrong at full back!

We are now due to play at Darlington next Tuesday in the semi final. But that is the day of the funeral for the Queen Mother so it may well be rearranged.

West: Whitehead, Lassey, Kerr, Connolly, Barff, Stabler, Thomas, Cullinane, Robinson, Cholmondeley [Geritz 40], Rudd, Webb, Tones, Sawyer, Bennett [Baggs 65].