Chester 32, Tynedale 31.

A DRAMATIC game at Chester on Saturday saw Tynedale edged out of their first win on the road by a single point.

They could and perhaps should have snatched a late victory after being behind for much of the game, but two kickable penalties went begging, and they had to be content with two bonus points.

That leaves them uncomfortably close to the bottom of National League Division Two North , but the performance still promised much for the future.

Tynedale began the game without their leading points scorer, full back Ross Cooke, and also missed number eight Ben Bell, and dual registered Newcastle Falcons prop Oscar Caudle.

However, there was a first start of the season for bustling prop Ben Haigh, who celebrated his return from illness by scoring Tynedale’s first try.

Cameron Grant took the 15 shirt in Cooke’s absence, and enjoyed a good day with the boot initially, landing three penalties and converting all four of their tries, but he was unable to land either of the late penalties which would have given Tyne the spoils.

It was Grant who gave Tynedale the lead with a penalty just three minutes in, but they found themselves down to 14 men just three minutes later when influential fly half and skipper Matty Outson was yellow carded for a technical offence.

Chester took swift advantage of their superior numbers, with right wing Max Himbury gobbling up a cross kick to touch down on 14 minutes, fly half Liam Reeve converting.

Chester doubled their advantage soon after, when a loose clearance was picked up by left wing Harrison Vare, who slalomed through the cover to score, Reeve again on target from the tee for a 14-3 lead.

Tynedale fell further behind to a Reeve penalty, but then got right back into the game with two well taken tries of their own.

The first came when Haigh rounded off a line out drive on 25 minutes, and a charge down brought a try for centre James Clark with 35 minutes gone.

Grant’s conversion brought the side’s level at 17-17 , but another successful penalty from Reeve edged Chester ahead at half time.

The Cestrians extended their lead six minutes into the second half when full back Gethin Long darted in for Reeve to convert, but Tynedale hit right back when a well judged chip from Matty Outson was seized upon by flanker Ben Robson, and Grant’s boot brought the gap back to three points.

Just before the hour mark, the pendulum swung back Chester’s way when Long went over wide out for his second try, securing the home side a bonus point, but again Tynedale came roaring straight back, bulldozing their way through the home defence for winger Guy Pike to score.

Grant’s conversion brought the gap to just one point with 27 minutes left, , but although they finished the game well on top, Tynedale were unable to add to their score.

Tynedale are back at Corbridge on Saturday, for the first of two successive home games. Their opponents are Sheffield Tigers, currently lying a couple of places above them in the table.

Kick off is at 3pm.