Darlington Mowden Park left it late to secure a nerve-wracking win over Rosslyn Park at the Northern Echo Arena this weekend. DMP trailed by 4 points as the clock ticket beyond 80 minutes on Saturday, before a late Josh Hall try sent the home faithful into raptures and gave DMP their second consecutive bonus point win at home. The winger had entered the game as a replacement and was pleased to get his first try of the season in such dramatic circumstances: "It felt good to get on the scoresheet and it was a bonus that it meant we took away 5 points from the game."

A bonus point win had seemed a long way away when Hall's side were on the wrong end of a 0-17 deficit inside the first quarter. Three quickfire tries from the visitors had given them a commanding early lead, but DMP fought back to level the scores at half way. Asher-Wood, Hop and Georgiou all crossed the whitewash inside the first 40, and Hall suggested the comeback was no surprise: "It wasn’t ideal going down 19-0 but it didn’t change how we were going to play and the boys stuck to the game plan to level it up before half time. There wasn’t much that had to be said, we knew we hadn’t been at our best in the first half and we knew what was needed to play the game on our terms."

Mowden started the second in similar fashion to how they finished the first, taking the lead for the first time after 45 minutes with a Warren Seals try. The lead changed hands another 2 times before Hall's late winner, but the 24 year-old insisted the team always had faith they'd come away with the points: "The boys were always confident we had it in us to win the game. At some points we made it slightly more difficult than it needed to be, but we had the patience and the nerve to see it out and get the W."

Hall's late score was his first since returning to Mowden Park this summer, having last represented the club in the 2013/14 season. After being involved in all 5 of DMP's league games so far, the former Yarm School pupil was happy with his return to the club: "I’m settling back in really well. It was good to have some familiar faces in the mix to help but it’s been an easy transition back into the squad. There is a good feeling within the boys and everyone is looking forward to the rest of the season and seeing what we can achieve."

You can next see Josh and the rest of the DMP squad in action at home on Saturday 13th October when they face Sale FC at the Northern Echo Arena. This game is also a double header, being followed by DMP Sharks v Richmond FC in the Tyrrells Premier 15s.