TYNEDALE’S away day blues turned a deeper shade of ultramarine on Saturday when they were well beaten by second bottom Broadstreet.

If Tynedale were ever going to win away for the first time since overcoming Macclesfield 17 games and over a year ago, this was it.

The Coventry side had only won one game all season, while Tynedale went into the match on the back of a morale boosting victory over Preston Grasshoppers.

Alas, it wasn’t to be, as the home side stormed into a 25-5 lead, within half an hour which even a spirited second half fightback failed to overturn.

It’s games like this that Tynedale have to win if they are not to be sucked into a battle to avoid a second consecutive relegation.

The game was refereed by Sara Cox, the first female offical at Corbridge, who gave Tynedale a sporting chance by reducing Broadstreet to 13 men by flashing two yellow cards in the second half, but it wasn’t quite enough to tilt the balance.

Tynedale’s chances were perhaps not helped by the fact they had a 6.30am start to 200-mile coach journey to the ground.

Tynedale welcomed back Rob Parker at full back following a lengthy lay-off, and there was also a start for bustling Ben Duncan on the wing.

However, the craft and experience of player coach Andy Buist was much missed from the pack.

It was first blood to Broadstreet, who were out of the blocks much quicker than travel weary Tynedale.

They took the lead on six minutes, when the ball was turned over on halfway, and spun out wide for winger Aaron Martin to go over in the corner for an unconverted try.

To their credit, Tynedale came right back at them, a well judged chip over the defence allowing Parker to celebrate his return to the side by touching down in the corner, which also went unconverted.

Home fly half Lee Chapman did discover his kicking boots when he put Broadstreet back in front with a long range penalty, before the Midlanders put the game to bed with two devastating tries just before the break.

The first came when sustained pressure saw the Tynedale defence finally crack for scrum half Nick Thatcher to dart in for a try which Chapman converted for 15-5.

Broadstreet struck again almost immediately, when more pressure on the beleaguered Tynedale line saw hooker Stewart Pearl touch down for another converted try.

Another Chapman penalty at the death saw Tynedale in big trouble at 25-5 down.

However, shrugging off the jet lag, they produced a creditable second half performance to restrict Broadstreet to a single penalty, while scoring two converted tries of their own.

They could even have snatched victory, but twice knocked on when in dangerous positions, so were denied even a losing bonus point.

Tynedale were given a helping hand eight minutes into the second half, when try scorer Thatcher was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock on, and he was soon joined on the naughty step by centre Todd Freemantle, for not retiring at a Tynedale penalty.

Tynedale’s first try was one of the best of the season, as they broke from their own five metre line and went the length of the field, for fly half Matty Outson to score an excellent try, converted by inside centre Ashley Smith to make it 25-12.

However, Tynedale shot themselves in the foot when lock Jonny Cousin’s red hair got the better of him, and he was yellow carded for dissent.

“Just like his fatha,” commented one of the Tynedale alickadoos.

Chapman slotted his third penalty for 28-12, but with five minutes left, Smith went over for a try which he converted himself.

Tynedale ended the game well on top, but those two knock ons denied them the bonus point they probably deserved to keep them dangling above the bottom three.