TYNEDALE 17, LEICESTER LIONS 20

DENIED a share of the spoils by the last kick of the match, the Tynedale players were decidedly downhearted after their opening game in National League Division Two North.

Leading 11-0 at one stage, the new look Tynedale outfit were gradually pegged back by a much larger Leicester side, and most felt a draw would have been a fair result.

This season will be a big learning curve for Tynedale, with what amounts to a new team and a new coaching set up. No club can afford players of the calibre of Brett Connon, Sam White, Dan Temm, Ben Frankland, Matty Charters and the rest without a period of adjustment, made even more difficult by the departure of a coach of the calibre of Tom Borthwick, and a Mr Fixit guru like John Shotton.

New coach Andy Buist and his team always had a mountain to climb, and while they didn‘t quite make the summit, they were well beyond the snowline.

Defeat was particularly hard on full back Rob Parker, son of Tynedale legend Dick, whose kicking from hand and tee was excellent. A couple of kicks from difficult positions were only inches way, and on another day, it may have been Tynedale celebrating.

However, there was no hiding the fact that Tynedale have problems in the front row, with the entire first choice front three from last season having jumped ship following last season’s relegation.

Veteran farmer Peter Southern retired a couple of seasons ago, but finds himself once more in the number one shirt at the tender age of 37.

There is no-one more committed to the Tynedale cause than ‘Bullet’, but the fact that he has had to doff the pipe and slippers shows how bare the front row cupboard is.

That being said, there were some encouraging signs from the replacements, with the hillbilly beard of prop Dom Connolly never far from the action, and the line-out throwing of hooker Matt Proctor and his replacement David Batey so good that Tynedale only lost one on their own throw all afternoon, a feat not achieved many times last season.

In the back row, Nick Cairns got through a lot of good work, as did newcomer Joe McKenzie, while number eight Scott Powell was his usual polished self.

It was good to see Danny Taylor remaining at the club despite the temptation to move on, and his link with Matty Outson at fly half showed much promise, both getting on the scoresheet.

There was a poignant start to the game as the club flag flew at half mast, and both teams lined up in front of the stand for an immaculately observed minute’s silence in memory of Stu Ridley, the Tynedale centre who had just broken through to the first team before being diagnosed with the brain tumour which claimed his life this summer at the tragically early age of 25.

The Lions were on top in the opening few minutes, excellent fly half Will Bishop just wide with a third minute penalty, but Tynedale were first on the scoresheet with a 25 metre penalty from young Parker.

Tynedale extended their lead on 14 minutes, when Parker found a good touch, lock Graeme Dunn claimed the ball in the line out, and after some to-ing and froing, scrum half Taylor wriggled over for the try, which Parker just failed to convert.

Although they were big, little was seen from the Lions at this stage, as they struggled to adjust to a long bus journey up the roadworks strewn A1M, as well as the loss of centre Jon Boden to injury after just six minutes.

Tynedale continued to dominate, with Parker landing his second penalty to make it 11-0 with 20 minutes gone.

The Lions were starting to roar though, spurred on by the eccentrically coiffed number eight Joe Collingham. who had a storming game. One of his typical surges into the Tynedale 22 was halted by a great tackle by Parker, but he managed to offload the ball to winger Sam Benjamin, who went over unchallenged.

Bishop converted to take the score to 11-7 with 38 minutes gone, which was a bit flattering for the visitors.

Parker was inches wide with a penalty at the death to leave the score unchanged at the break.

A Bishop penalty five minutes into the second half reduced the gap to a single point, but Tynedale stretched away again with a well judged drop goal by fly half Outson on 52 minutes

The Lions took the lead in spectacular style on 65 minutes, when Tynedale lost possession on halfway, and Benjamin sprinted half the length of the field through some rather poor tackling to touch down under the sticks to give Bishop the easiest of conversions to put his side ahead at 17-14.

The Tynedale forwards were coming under increased pressure in the tight, as the superior size and technique of the Lions had them back-pedalling furiously.

Tynedale drew level with another Parker penalty on 67 minutes, and the balance swung the home side’s way when Lions wing Devon Constant was yellow carded for use of the forearm in a tackle.

However, Tynedale were unable to make the extra man count, another Parker penalty veering wide at the last second.

It seemed the game would end all square, until the Lions pack came marauding trough in the last seconds, and Tynedale offended in front of their own posts. Bishop gobbled up the easy penalty chance, and there was no time left to restart the game.