TYNEDALE Rugby Club’s veterans team finally ended their Challenge Trophy hoodoo with victory over Percy Park at Rockcliff.

The team had failed to win in seven previous finals in the competition, but overcame this jinx by beating the same side they succumbed to last year.

The Corbridge club defeated their North Shields opponents 23-15 and finally allowed team manager Rod Wallace to lift the trophy.

Tynedale made a promising start, with Alan Moses showing some neat footwork before an interchange of passes with Scott Ferguson allowed the former to score between the posts.

Former county scrum-half Dan Gray tacked on the conversion.

Gray added a penalty for Tynedale, sandwiched by two unconverted tries for Park.

A flurry of Tynedale penalties had provided the North Shields side with a route back into the game.

Tynedale introduced fresh legs after the break, with Andy Burns and Andy Neal entering the game.

These changes allowed Tim Ellis to break from deep, and he found Ferguson through a gap in the Park defence.

Ferguson in turn laid on a pass for substitute Burns, whose powerful run was rewarded when his pass to Bart Milburn was scored under the posts.

Ferguson and Burns combined for Tynedale’s final and ultimately victory-sealing score.

A deep run from Ferguson was followed by a chip over the on-rushing defenders, which he collected and released Burns to crash over the try line and confirm Tynedale’s victory.