Mowden Park put up a strong challenge

Darlington Mowden Park v Billingham 3TM

Off the back of two very successful seasons 3TM visited Mowden for their first test of the new season for a “friendly”. Showing strength in depth Billingham took almost two squads with Whiteline leaving himself out and new Lions captain Phil Reay scouting from the line. With a selection of experience and young enthusiastic players it was decided to play four periods of twenty minutes. Speedy attacks were the order of the day with an impressive partnership of Woodhouse and Bragham at half backs getting clean ball from the tight with Hall driving deep into the opposite front row, Watson presenting well from eight and Sixsmith always willing to take it on and Sanderson and Mallam hungry for some action.
Old partnerships were rekindled and new link ups tested. Billingham applied the pressure from the start as Angus and Hutchy driving forward releasing the speedy Mallam to sprint in from distance and Elgie proving his close season kicking practice paid off stroking over from out wide. He should have got a second after a seventy yard run to be tap tackled just short. The home side despite having a very experienced side had no answer for Brown and Gray in the line out stealing their ball time after time with tap backs and breajking the gain line time after time. The ball was recycled through eleven phases flowing wing to wing leaving Watson to run through to touch down out wide. Right on the quarter Gray showed a clean pair of heels to increase the score.
Quarter score Mowden 0 – Billingham 3TM 19
Big changes were made ten in all with Guz swapping with Watson for more of the same and again a combination of youth and experience with Hall coming into second row Coggy getting his first run out replacing the safe hands of Brumpton, Chapman, Dale and Scott Thompson in the pack and Keenan, Leng (the younger) and Child into the backs. The changes altered the flow with Mowden bringing on players they pulled back with two unanswered tries by the end of the half.
Half time Mowden 12 – Billingham 3TM 19
In the third quarter Mowden bolstered their side with more experience and pulled the scores level at the end of the quarter. Straight from the kick off Hutchy took the ball with a huge back row bearing down. In typical third team tradition he dipped his shoulder and watched the advancing player bounce off. Mowden might have added to their score with a kick through but Brumpton fashioned an unusual overhead kick and chase to clear the lines.
Mowden 19 – Billingham 3TM 19
An enforced change saw the creative fly half Bragham replaced by Chapman with Kelsey and Westall continuing with rock solid defence and Surtees showing great promise at hooker with some good counter rucking. Billingham were revitalised and Guz took a long ball and set off running over players offloading to Mallam to show a clean pair of heels to score. The pressure on Mowden built up as phase after phase was completed with a combination of pick and go and spinning out wide. A huge hole appeared in the beleaguered home defence and Kennan sprinted through to score untouched. Right on full time as Billingham wound down Mowden finished of with a try although it looked from the line that there were several knock on in the build up.
Never the less a great result for Billingham with some very good performances around the park. It looks like a promising future with the young players showing great talent and some of the older players demonstrating they can easily play at higher levels.
Full time Mowden 26 – Billingham 3TM 33
Scorers
Tries Mallam 2, Watson 1, Gray 1, Keenan 1
Kicks Elgie Conversions 4. 80%