Blaydon battle on to take big survival step

NEEDING maximum points to maintain their push from out of the relegation zone Blaydon responded with a rattling good performance that had four tries in the bag by the 41st minute and featured six in all before they took their foot off the throttle towards the end.

Director of rugby Micky Ward said: “The lads performed well, it was a tough build-up and they were nervous. I thought their defence was outstanding in the first half and they attacked the way they have all season.

“We made a couple of mistakes late on but with one eye on next week’s game, we made a couple of substitutions.”

They knocked on from the kick-off and made life a little difficult for five minutes but once the first score went in it became plain sailing.

Tom Bramwell and Frazer Wilson combined to put flanker Jack Davidson through a convenient gap for the opener, and hooker Matt Thompson touched down from close range following a line-out drive.

Try No3 looked certain when they swarmed into the visitors 22 on 35 minutes only to be robbed on the line. Possession was soon regained — BLAYDON ROSSLYN PARK 40 24 Davidson grabbing his second — and with Brett Connon having landed the conversions it was 21-0 at the interval.

A minute after the restart they secured the vital bonus point try when Connon charged down a clearance and Wilson set off down the left. Another penalty to the corner saw Thompson in again and Andrew Archibald finished off the Blaydon scoring.

Forty points to the good without reply and with 20 minutes left the handbrake was applied and a Park side that had shown no sign of scoring were able to run in four tries of their own.

Winger David Vincent twice was allowed to wriggle out of the tackle to score in the corner, and when Blaydon consistently infringed at a short scrum a yellow card resulted and the visitors took full advantage through Henry Robinson.

Harry Leonard added two conversions and in the final minute Josh Ovens went over after good work by Ed Milne.

Only one game to go, and everything to play for with Blaydon’s League One future still in doubt.