TYNEDALE and Blaydon ended the National One season in style with a 10-try thriller in Corbridge.

It was Tynedale who stole the show right at the death, despite the home side being down to 14 men following flanker Grant Rastall’s red card for stamping.

Man of the match Johnny Williams was a fitting scorer, with the prop-forward diving over to jubilant scenes following Alistair Murray’s quick tap penalty with less than a minute remaining.

There was no shortage of niggle throughout a full-blooded encounter between the league’s two North East sides, with the clubs having locked horns on a regular basis ever since their first ever meeting back in 1896.

With a healthy Bank Holiday crowd in attendance and the sun beating down on the picturesque Northumbrian venue, it was Blaydon who got the scoring off and running just four minutes in, as prop Robbie Kalbraier was shoved over the try-line following a catch-and-drive.

Andrew Baggett converted, but Tynedale were soon level as home skipper Hamish Smales grabbed the first of his hat-trick of tries. The centre latched on to a quick tap penalty from Harry Peck to dart beneath the posts, with Matty Outson’s conversion restoring parity.

Blaydon’s home win over Otley on Saturday had ensured any relegation worries were out of their thoughts, and there was plenty of adventure from both teams in a free-flowing show of open rugby.

Smales crossed for his second try midway through the half as Outson fed him in on an inside line, and it was Tyne in the ascendancy as forward pair Richard Boyle and Rastall both went close.

Blaydon player-coach Tom Rock stayed on the field after being shaken by a midfield hit, however his side still trailed 17-12 at the interval despite Chris Wearmouth’s late try in answer to an Outson penalty.

There was no shortage of drama after the break as Smales completed his hat-trick just five minutes in, supporting Alan Rogers’ superb line-break to dot down in the right corner.

Blaydon scrum-half Matt Mellish scored his first try for the club with a quickly-taken tap penalty down the right hand side, to get back to within three.

But Tynedale soon extended the gap back to eight when Dutch full-back Sep Visser collected a deft offload from Smales to dive just inside the right corner post. That touch-down saw Visser draw level with London Scottish’s David Howells as the league’s top try-scorer, with 22 for the season, but there was still a Blaydon backlash to come.

Playing with the wind at their backs, fly-half Baggett used the elements to his advantage by sending over a hat-trick of well-struck penalties.

And when right winger Simon Barber plucked an interception out of their inside his own 22 from a quick tap by Peck, an 80-metre foot race saw Blaydon take an unlikely eight-point lead going into a frantic final five minutes.

A fractious finish to proceedings saw home flank Rastall shown red for over-zealous use of the boot, but still Tynedale battled away.

Replacement Sam Shires got them back to within a single score as the Newcastle University captain touched down in the right corner from a Smales line-break.

But the best was saved for last, as Murray seized the initiative from a close-range penalty at the death. Tapping quickly, the resulting ruck saw the ball flung left into the grateful arms of Williams, with the prop clinching the win.