A TRY five minutes before time by Morgan Adderley-Jones secured a win for Cinderford which had earlier seemed a certainty.

A late surge by visitors Darlington Mowden Park turned a 38-15 deficit after 57 minutes into a nervy 38-34 with seven minutes to go.

Cinderford got off to the perfect start in an entertaining game that produced a total of 10 tries.

Some of the large crowd had not settled into position when scrum-half Mike Austin supported a line-break after kicking off and crossed for the try.

His conversion made it 7-0 with barely a minute on the clock.

Danny Hodge made it 12-0 after seven minutes with a textbook Cinderford try when he crossed from the back of the maul following a 5m line-out.

Darlington reduced the lead to two points with some 25 minutes played when Henry Hadfield exploited a defensive gap which was converted Louie Johnson who then added a penalty.

Good work between the forwards and backs saw prop Harry Edwards bring Cinderford into the danger zone and Jamie Forrester touched down after full-back Reece Dunn chipped the defence.

Austin was again on target with the conversion for 19-10.

The visitors came back with Hadfield’s second try when the ball was shipped out wide and he stretched out to score.

Cinderford went into the break leading 19-15 but soon extended that in a period of play which saw them dominate.

Hooker Nathan Taylor made it 24-15 after five minutes of the second period from another strong maul and Austin added the conversion for 26-15.

Some excellent interplay between centres Forrester and George Gladding put Austin through for his second try which he converted for 33-15 after 50 minutes.

When Taylor added another trademark try from a driving maul seven minutes later, Cinderford appeared to be out of sight at 38-15.

But when Austin was given a yellow card, the visitors were offered an opportunity which they seized.

Alistair Ledingham converted his own try after 68 minutes and two further tries within five minutes, one of which was converted, brought Darlington to four points behind at 38-34.

Home nerves were calmed when fly-half Morgan Adderley-Jones reacted quickly to dot down a Mowden Park knock-on near the line.

Cinderford saw out the final five minutes to claim a 43-34 win.

Cinderford: Reece Dunn, Will Baldwin, George Gladding, Jamie Forrester, Mason Tonks, Morgan Adderley-Jones, Mike Austin, Harry Edwards, Nathan Taylor, Tim Brockett, Dan Hodge, Tyler Jerrum, Matt Lane, George Angell, Harry Hone (capt.)

Replacements: Joe Smart, Shaun Knight, Joe Mullis, Toby Powell, George Boulton.