HARROGATE’S large and belligerent pack tried to spoil Tynedale’s homecoming party, but were ultimately denied by their resilient hosts.

The visitors became the first team to play at Corbridge since November as a result of widespread devastation caused by Storm Desmond, and they were in no mood for special occasions as their fearsome pack caused trouble all afternoon.

However, Tyne were determined to give the home faithful something to cheer on their return home after using Newcastle Falcons’ Kingston Park ground for half of last season and defended excellently.

They made sure of the points with a late penalty from Ash Smith, taking the final score to 20-16 with nerves jangling with just one point between the teams.

There were two major themes apparent from the beginning of the game, the first being Tyne’s midfield defence acting like a brick wall to prevent Harrogate’s more physical players breaking into their 22.

Captain Joe Mills and Will Miller led from the front, the former mastering the dark arts of the breakdown and the latter leading the hosts’ defensive efforts.

The second theme was the dominance of Harrogate’s pack as they piled a huge amount of pressure on Tynedale at times, a succession of scrum penalties and turnovers gifting the visitors territory o allowing their fly half Charles Morgan a kick at goal.

There were cries from the stands accusing referee Benjamin Davis of penalising players in blue and white unfairly, but a penalty count ratio of two-to-one was a fair reflection of Harrogate’s forwards dominance.

The Yorkshiremen opened their account early on with a scrum penalty on Tynedale’s 22 line, Morgan easily sending over the three points.

They doubled that score after Tynedale winger Aedon Maloney miskicked a drop-out and, in an attempt to make amends, high tackled his opponent who was the unlucky to have salvaged the ball.

Tynedale were spurred into action by veteran centre Jack Harrison following Harrogate’s early scores, and an intercepted wayward pass gave his side the impetus they needed to crank the heat on the away team’s scrambling defence.

The hosts were eventually awarded a penalty and prolific try scorer of last year Ben Haigh bullied his way over at the back of the maul to present Smith with a gift to add the extras.

Midfield battles defined the game but it was Tynedale’s superior kicks from their half backs which separated the teams, earning territory, and points, as they forged forward.

Shortly after half time, Milller turned his hand to attacking play after spending most of the first half defending and he made a blistering run through the heart of the Harrogate defence. The home side poured everything into breaking over the line but were kept out on the line numerous times.

However, penalties started to come their way with Mills opting to ignore chances at goal in favour of line-outs right on the five metre line.

From one such move, Miller again came close before Haigh bagged his second with a familiar angling run which took two defenders over the try line with him.

Harrogate were reeling and wrestled the ball back from the restart, staging a fight back from within their own half as bludgeoning runs and direct backs play paying dividends as they pushed Tynedale back.

They won a penalty but shunned a punt at the sticks to go for touch, a subsequent catch and maul looking likely to bring about five points for their bulky pack.

Tynedale miraculously stopped the rolling juggernaut on the line, but quick ball and some great thinking from debutant David Doherty saw him loop a pass out to Harry Parish to stroll and reduced to arrears to one point with thanks to Doherty’s conversion.

Refusing to throw it away, Tynedale came out with all guns blazing and good link-up play between Scott Powell and Miller brought the hosts into the visitors’ half where Henry Hadfield tried to take everybody on.

One of his scintillating runs resulted in a Tynedale penalty, with Smith sending over the penalty to send the Corbridge fans home happy.