The mood amongst players, coaches and fans in the clubhouse afterwards said it all and this was a sad end to what, overall, has been a good season for this young and evolving side.

City, however, played the better rugby, played more as a team and above all looked as though they wanted it more. All three things should be looked back on by Rovers and used to improve themselves for the new season.

The Whites didn’t help themselves, however.

They lost three men to the sin bin, two at the same time, and any team is going to struggle to win a match in those circumstances.

Rovers also relied on the crash ball in the centre and the pick and go up front but rarely threatened to make this count and seemed to have no plan B. City’s backs and forwards were bigger and stronger and, as a result, they defended better and punched their way past the gain line more often than Rovers.

Rovers after this defeat and the losses in the previous two finals to Consett must wonder what they have to do to lift the cup. City, on the other hand, have now beaten the Friaragemen three times this season, the cup win following two league successes that could easily and should have gone the other way.

The hosts got off to an awful start with Callum Whitehead sin-binned after only two minutes, but then went on to have a long spell of pressure but no clear-cut scoring chances.

Durham then went upfield and Paul Armstrong kicked a 32 metre penalty after 13 minutes.

Chris Metcalfe then looked in at the right hand clubhouse corner only for Steven Barnfield to pull off a tremendous tackle three metres out. A huge drive including forwards and backs on 25 minutes saw Kenny Reader touch down.

Yellow cards for Michael Barnfield and Lee Maddison on 31 and 34 minutes respectively and the loss through injury of Adam Smith and Ben Cushlow heaped the pressure onto Rovers. Liam Austwicke halted the dangerous Bradley Pears but Metcalfe was in support to take the offload. Armstrong converted and City had a 15-0 half time lead.

Chris Sainty missed with a 38 metre penalty two minutes after the break as he looked to put some points on the board and kick-start what had been a limp Rovers’ performance. He looked to have a sitter on the hour mark when a penalty was advanced to 10 metres out for dissent but Rovers took a tap penalty and knocked on.

Steven Barnfield had a rare break after 69 minutes but was bundled into touch.

For all their effort, the White Shirts didn’t look like crossing the whitewash despite having a huge penalty advantage and Durham increased their lead to 20-0 from their first real attack of the half after 73 minutes. After patiently playing the phases, the ball was spread and Pears went over in the Railway Corner.

Arguably too late in the match to affect the result, Mr Aldwinckle ran out of patience with some of City’s tactics and showed yellow cards to Joe Maw on 75 minutes and Pears on 79 minutes. In between, James Evens ran strongly to touchdown and Sainty’s conversion made it 20-7.

Another converted try before time was up would have produced an exciting finish to the game but instead it petered out with Rovers still struggling to make any ground of note.

A penalty count of 18 by City and 8 by Rovers suggests Rovers ought to have done better with the ball that gave them It also hints that the card count had an imbalance but Rovers’ only had themselves to blame for their cards.

It simply wasn’t Rovers’ night and the better team won.

Rovers: Austwicke, B Cushlow, Coulson, Sainty, A Smith, M Barnfield (sin bin 31), S Barnfield, A Flounders (c), Maguire, Wise, Langley, Baxter, Wood, Maddison (sin bin 34), Whitehead (sin bin 2). Subs used: Tucker, I Flounders, J Cushlow, Foster, Grand, Gunn, Evens

City: Heron, Metcalfe, Pears (sin bin 79), Stevenson, Huitson, Armstrong (c), Paxton, Hay, Reader, Parkinson, Baty, L Wilson, Maw (sin bin 75), Brown, Dent. Subs used: Guthrie, Hogg, Howe, K Wilson, R Smith. Subs not used: Knowles, Bedworth

Referee: Barrett Aldwinckle (Durham Society)