CINDERFORD were denied by a length-of-the-field try with the last play of the game at the Darlington Arena.
Mowden Park had the better of the opening 40 minutes in terms of territory but were unable to break through a well-organised Cinderford defence.
The half finished 6-3 with two penalties from Josh Ree for the hosts and Joe Wingfield getting Cinderford onto the board.
Darlington’s lead would have been wider with Yaree Fantini crossing from a line-out but the referee called play back for obstruction.
Winfield levelled the scores from the tee before two tries in five minutes swung the game in Darlington’s favour.
Harry Yates scored both touchdowns which were converted by Ree to put the home side 14 points ahead going into the last quarter.
But the visitors got themselves back into the game with a couple of tries of their own with less than 15 minutes to.
The first came from a powerful driving maul on 68 minutes before full-back Joe Langbridge finished a perfectly positioned cross-field kick from Winfield.
Winfied added the extras from both tries to tie the game going into the last five minutes.
He then had an opportunity to put his side in front but the penalty kick from the half-way line drifted wide.
Park decided to run the ball out from and it eventually found outside-half Ree who raced through for the try that gave his side the win
Cinderford: Joe Langbridge, Stan Norman, Will Baldwin, Jamie Forrester, Will Hendy, Joe Winfield, Tom Knight, Harry Edwards, Tom Anderson, James Elliot, Dan Hodge, Callum Thompson, Dec Fissenden, Joe Mullis, Tyler Jerrum (Capt.)
Replacements: Joe Smart, Nathan Taylor, Jonny Holliday, Jimmy Williams, Tom Samak.