THIRD-PLACED Sedgley Park fancied their chances against Tynedale, who had lost their previous five games on the spin, but the Northumbrians ultimately turned the formbook on its head by taming the Tigers for the fourth game in a row.
It seemed it could be Sedgley Park's day when, playing against the strong wind and driving rain, they took the lead after just two minutes, lock Bob Birtwell bursting out of a lineout on halfway to send scrum-half Danny Openshaw over in the corner.
The visitors had the lion's share of possession but were unable to extend their lead and Tynedale hit back when centre Will Miller stretched over following a scrum on 16 minutes.
Fly-half Jake Rodgers' conversion gave Tynedale a 7-5 interval lead.
A two-point lead didn't seem enough playing into the gale force wind and rain, but ten minutes into the half Tynedale left wing Guy Pike hacked through from inside his own half and won the race to the tryline to make it 12-5.
A Rodgers penalty on 61 minutes extended Tynedale's lead and although the Tigers were never out of the hosts' half for the remainder of the game, all they had to show for their pressure was a 69th minute penalty from fly-half Steve Collins to secure what would be the losing bonus point.
TEAMS
TYNEDALE: Parker, Hutton, Checksfield, Miller, Pike, Rodgers, Outson, Hughes, Batey, Carmichael, Dunn, Cousin, Bell, Richards, Clarke Replacements: Haigh, Lowdon, Magowan, Clarkson, Bramwell
SEDGLEY PARK TIGERS: Lowithan, Cheshire, Glasse, Holloway, Harrison, Collins, Openshaw, Ashcroft, Coe, Black, Birtwell, Powell, Crowe, Lees, Ailes
Replacements: Rushton, Gallagher, Goodman, Simpson, Robertson
REFEREE: Daniel Wood
ATTENDANCE: 380
Star man
Guy Pike – Tynedale
