DURHAM CITY 74 GATESHEAD 26

Gateshead had no answer as they were hit by 5 first-half City tries and trailed 31 – 0 before replying with 4 of their own after the interval while City added a further 7.

Strong breaks by centre Craig Dominick led to the opening two tries, Dominick getting the first himself, No.8 Paddy Dias supporting well for the second and scrum-half Paul Armstrong converting them for a
14 – 0 lead after 7 minutes.

Winger Nathan Bushnell followed it up for the next, benefitting from good handling by hooker Kenny Reader, winger Tom Elliott forced his way over following a big forward drive and Bushnell got his second when winning a race for the touchdown after fine covering and a delicate chip ahead by Armstrong who converted the last of them for the interval lead.

But Gateshead got into it after that, s series of driving mauls ending with their first try by lock Scott Wilczek which full-back Scott Cartner converted and, whilst City added their sixth try from turnover ball in the Gateshead 22 for centre Brad Pears to blast over and Armstrong to convert, the visitors responded immediately, centre David Tate breaking well to score at the posts and Cartner again converting.

Three further City tries in the middle of the half through Pears and props Graeme Herbert and Reece Amir together with two Armstrong conversions took the City lead to 57 – 14 , but the game was starting to get fractious and a red card apiece was the outcome of a second big brawl.

Still the scoring continued however, Gateshead winger Connor Anderson and Cartner’s tries and a conversion by him completing the visitors’ tally, whilst City added a further 3 tries through flanker Will Jewitt, Dominick and Pears for his hat-trick with Armstrong converting one.

CITY: Josh White; Tom Elliott, Brad Pears, Craig Dominick, Nathan Bushnell; Arnie Stevenson, Paul Armstrong ©; Graeme Herbert, Kenny Reader, Benny Parkinson, Kevin Showler, Kyle Wilson, Howard Johnson, Will Jewitt, Paddy Dias.

Replacements: Reece Amir, Josh Cotton, James Coxon.