RUNAWAY league leaders Caldy left Corbridge a mightily relieved outfit after taking their unbeaten run to 19 games.

The 30-17 scoreline might look comfortable enough, but the men from the Wirral knew they had got away with daylight robbery on a unseasonably sunny afternoon.

In the closing stages of a ding-dong match, Tynedale were pressing hard on the Caldy line, when referee Chris Bennett awarded a free kick to Tynedale as the champions elect pushed too early at a scrum.

Tynedale number eight Scott Powell took it quickly, and dived over the line under the posts. He was illegally tackled as he made his dive, but photographic evidence proved he had still managed to ground the ball.

Alas, Mr Bennett ruled the ball had been held up, and while another referee might have awarded a penalty try, he gave another five metre scrum, at which the powerful Caldy pack drove themselves out of trouble.

The seven points which should have been awarded would have put Tynedale in front, but instead, the visibly flagging visitors staged one last effort, and went up to the other end to score a converted try themselves deep into injury time to register a hugely flattering scoreline.

The Tynedale faithful were already aggrieved as, to a man and woman, they were convinced that Mr Bennett and his assistant were the only people in the ground that didn’t see a pass which led to a Caldy try was yards forward.

Grievances aside, this was a good performance from a Tynedale side without hooker Jamie Blamire on England U20 duty and ace kicker Ash Smith.

There was a debut on the wing for young Nick Cook, who acquitted himself well, and there were stellar performances from the indefatigable Powell, fly half Dan Taylor and skipper Matty Outson, who took on kicking duties for the day.

The Tynedale line-out was good early on, but the massive Caldy pack was brutally impressive, shoving Tynedale off their own ball with contemptuous ease on more than one occasion.

Tynedale made a sensational start, Powell pounding through a gap to send hooker Louis Frankland in under the posts for Outson to convert with just two minutes gone.

Moments later, flanker Tom McCullough was through again, but with no-one in support, the move petered out.

After five minutes though, Tynedale were 10-0 up and flying as Outson landed a penalty from 20 metres.

The Tynedale faithful were on their feet on seven minutes when Taylor pulled off a neat interception, with no-one between him and the Caldy line, but the referee brought play back for a Caldy penalty for an earlier offence, and centre Jack Lavin’s kick made it 10-3.

Caldy hooker Ted Stagg was stretchered off on 14 minutes but they regrouped, and for the first time started to put Tynedale under pressure.

Tynedale tackled heroically, but were unable to stop mountainous skipper Tom Sanders crashing over from a penalty scrum on 20 minutes for Lavin to convert and bring the scores level.

Then came the blatant forward pass which ultimately led to a try for exciting left wing Tommy Banks, with Lavin adding the extras.

Tynedale came blasting back disrupting a Caldy scrum from which Taylor burst away to send Jack Harrison in under the posts for Outson to convert and bring the scores level at 17-17 four minutes into injury time.

Caldy had the last word of the half though, with Lavin making it 20-17 when Tynedale strayed offside.

Another Lavin penalty eight minutes into the second half increased the gap to six points, but Tynedale held their own for the remainder of the half, until the drama of Powell’s disallowed try with five minutes left.

Caldy seemed out of their feet, but showed their championship credentials when fly half Rhys Hays powered over close to the posts deep into injury time to wrap things up.

Tynedale are at the other end of the table tomorrow when they visit bottom club Preston Grasshoppers.