In Durham Northumberland Division Three, SEATON CAREW put last week's defeat behind them with a comprehensive 73-18 home win over bottom of the league Chester-le-Street. Right from the outset the visitors were pinned into their twenty-two and, from a particularly strong scrummaging effort, number 8 Murry Stockdale picked up and charged down the blind side for a fifth minute try. Street had the majority of possession for the next ten minutes but when play broke down in mid-field centre Lloyd Thrift latched onto the ball and, weaving fully forty metres down field, was able to pop the ball up to fellow centre Adam Campbell for Seaton's second. On seventeen minutes, Stockdale drove deep into opposition territory; fly-half Cam Lithgo switched the direction of play and winger Harry Hazell touched down in the corner. Minutes later Lithgo squeezed through for a try of his own and, when the restart ball failed to make the requisite ten metres, lock Steve Wilson had the presence of mind to play on and, leaving the wrong footed defence in his wake, ran in try number five from the half-way line. Street kicked a successful penalty as the clock ran down to settle the half-time score at 25-3.

Seaton struck within two minutes of the restart when hooker Josh Slater finished off a catch and drive line-out and in the next play Lithgo cut through the middle and then skirted closer to the posts for his second try. He had been unable to find his range in the first half but this time slotted the conversion – the first of four successful second period efforts. The tries were now coming at regular intervals and scrum-half Ollie Hamilton followed up his own chip through for try number eight. Deft handling enabled full-back Stuart McLennan to step inside his opposite number for number nine and a storming run by prop Dean Gouldsborough was again finished off by McLennan. A sweeping move involving several players culminated in flanker Scott Burmiston crossing the whitewash for number eleven. The visitors, who were game to the last, picked up three tries in the last quarter but Seaton had a couple more to come. Stockdale turned a ball over in the tackle and crashed over for number twelve and McLennan threaded his way through to complete his hat trick.