WITH a few notable exceptions, the 500-mile round trip to Stourton Park has never been a happy one for Tynedale.

And it was another black day in the Black Country on Saturday, when Stourbridge snatched victory with the very last kick of the game.

After a dour and error strewn game, Tynedale’s haul of a single losing bonus point saw them slip down the North Division Two table from fourth to sixth, overhauled by both Stourbridge and Sedgley Tigers.

It was the second week running that Tynedale’s game had hinged on a last minute kick. They got away with it the previous week against Sheffield Tigers, winning by a single point, but there was no let off this time.

Having drawn level late in the game, they were hoping to hang on for a share of the points, but they gave away a penalty smack in front of the posts in the dying seconds.

Replacement Chris Scott held his nerve to drill the kick home to earn his side four points to Tynedale’s one.

Tynedale were without regular fly half Jake Rodgers, and once again it was skipper Matty Outson who stepped up to fill the number 10 shirt, Matty’s younger brother Jack making his first appearance of the season at full back.

Also missing was the free-scoring winger Guy Pike, teenager Will Haydon-Wood taking the left wing berth outside the returning Will Miller.

With regular hookers David Batey and Dan Lowdon both injured, prop Liam Carmichael took the number two shirt, and acquitted himself well.

On a wet day in the Midlands, scoring opportunities were few and far between, until the home side went ahead after seven minutes through scrum-half Callum Morris, who darted in from a scrum close to the Tynedale line for an unconverted try.

The game was more than 20 minutes old before Tynedale ventured into the Stourbridge half, but they did so to good effect, when a well judged pass sent Haydon-Wood over in the corner on the half hour for another try that went unconverted.

Stourbridge regained the lead on 36 minutes when hooker Jack Lea crashed over following another close-range scrum, but once again the conversion attempt failed to bear fruit.

Stourbridge led 10-5 at the break and the second half stuttered along in desultory fashion with neither side able to mount much in the way of attacking rugby.

Stour had a try ruled out for a forward pass, and with six minutes left, Tynedale levelled things up when replacement prop Ben Blackburn broke clear and galloped over half the length of the pitch to bring the scores level.

It was a first Tynedale try for Blackburn, who is the latest product of the Border Park production line which has seen the Kielder club provide Tynedale with the likes of Billy Robson, Campbell Hewitson and David Batey over the years.

Tynedale thought they had done enough, but then came the last ditch penalty which denied them a point,

Tynedale return to Corbridge tomorrow for the visit of Hinckley. The Leicester side are a couple of places and six points behind Tynedale, but like Tynedale have won five of their 11 games,

The game kicks off at 2pm.