If there ever was a phrase to describe a typically combative, robust, National League affair, "hard fought" couldn't have been more apt at Corbridge.
Both sides refused to relent in defence and despite the teams trading six tries, everyone was, well, hard won - and in the end , a draw was a fair result.
It was the hosts who drew first blood, the excellent Seamus Hutton getting himself across the whitewash and it proved to be the only scoring moment of a first half for the purists. And whatever was spoken of in the Billingham changing room at half time certainly had the desired effect.
Within two minutes of the restart they were level, via Joseph Ross, but the Tynedale response was equally swift- Ralph Johnston the man driven over.
Hutton and Ross then traded tries as the game threatened, albeit briefly, to come to life, and while it never quite materialised there was still plenty to keep the fans interested.
Loie Groark smashed over for the equalising score with 15 minutes left ans as the game threatened to meander towards an inevitable conclusion, Peter Evans was presented with an opportunity from the tee to win it for Billingham, but wide it sailed.

Chris Leslie's angle on events:-
Tynedale 19 - 19 Billingham:
A Hard-Fought Draw.
In a close match, both sides played out a rather amateur 19-19 draw. Despite some tactical decisions that could be questioned, individual performances from Tynedale players: Hutton, Nankivell, and Richards stood out.

Tynedale had several chances in the first half, opting not to kick four straightforward penalties, which could have given them a significant advantage.
Billingham, brilliantly battling against a gusty wind in the first half, did more than well to hold off Tynedale’s pressure and keep the game close. They were sharp. Yet, Tynedale camped much of the first half in Billingham’s 22, couldn't capitalise on their territorial advantage. After the yellow card to Billingham flyhalf, even with a 14-man Billingham defending, Tynedale couldn't make the scrum count, missing a key opportunity with an overlap just 10 metres out.

The second half was more balanced, with both teams exchanging tries. Billingham struck first after the break to level the score at 7-7, but Tynedale quickly regained the lead with a try from Ralph Johnston, converted by Cam Grant.
Billingham answered again to tie the game at 14-14 before Hutton added his second try to give Tynedale a 19-14 lead. Billingham responded once more to bring the score to 19-19.
With the game hanging in the balance, Billingham had the chance to secure victory with a penalty in the 80th minute but instead for some odd reason chose to scrum close to the Tynedale try line instead of a simple penalty — a decision that ultimately didn’t pay off.
Both teams had their chances, but in the end, a draw felt like a fair result in a game where no side fully capitalised on their opportunities.