Blaydon 44, Wilmslow 20

Blaydon secure maximum points and move ahead of Harrogate who beat leaders Hull and with Billingham taking maximum points at Vale of Lune, the playoff spot is still a 3 horse race with Blaydon needing to secure maximum points from their last 3 games to ensure they finish in that spot.

Blaydon  44   Wilmslow  20
A 4th successive win keeps Blaydon on target for a second place finish and into a play-off for promotion, and was achieved comfortably enough by a margin of 8 tries to 3. Whilst the scoreboard rattled along and the result was never in doubt the visitors at times were allowed an abundance of possession and belied their lowly position with a lively showing.
Rob MacCallum the Wilmslow fly-half opened the scoring with a simple penalty on 5 minutes and his side did well to defend 3 line-out drives in quick succession. Eventually prop-forward Calum Eastwood dived over from close range however and the Blaydon onslaught had begun.
Try No2 came from another line-out, this time from a ball to the front from which hooker Cameron Bell was driven over with Ryan Foreman adding the conversion. In Wilmslow’s first real attack their centre Gus Fiennes finished off a raid down the right but Blaydon were immediately back on the offensive with 2 more tries.
Alex Clark was involved with both efforts, firstly driving into the 22 to set up the attack from which Jack Appleton went over and then securing a loose ball to repeat the move and then being on hand to take a neat pass from James Cooney to score the bonus point try near the posts, Foreman again on target.
Wilmslow then showed that they too were dangerous from a line-out drive,
scoring their second through Ayrey Jordan but by the interval Blaydon scrum-half Dan Taylor completed a slick handling move to make it 29-13 at the break. 
The result was effectively settled shortly into the second when winger Frazer Wilson ran in a brace of tries in typical fashion. The first was a solo effort from just inside the Wilmslow half when he outstripped the visitors defence in fine style and was put clear for the second by Nathan Horsfall who had only just come on as a replacement.
Wilmslow then spent some considerable time in the home 22 and were eventually rewarded with a 3rd try, a smart effort from front-rower Rob Taylor, but all the good work was undone when Appleton grabbed his second Blaydon’s 8th near the end.
John Brennan