Report taken from "The Rugby Paper":-
A last-minute conversion from Josh Leslie saw Tynedale draw level with Preston Grasshoppers in an end-to-end clash at Lightfoot Green yesterday.
Hoppers had the lead with five minutes left, but a last-minute converted score from Tynedale's Ben Haigh meant they took a draw back to the North-East.
Tynedale scored the first try nearly 20 minutes in when an excellent run from Euan Forlow saw him play in Seamus Hutton, who had plenty of space to score.
There was a quick response from Hoppers though, Harry Holden grabbed his eighth try this season when the driving maul went over.
Declan Norrington was shown a yellow card for a high tackle, but Hoppers took the lead for the first time when Greg Smith scored his first penalty of the encounter.
That was short-lived, however, when Ben Bell scored after several attempts at the pick and drive from the visitors, with Josh Leslie adding the extras. Hoppers closed out the first half with a penalty to keep the gap to three points heading into the half-time break.
It took only three minutes for the hosts to score in the second-half, again from a driving maul, but it was Alfie Longstaff who scored the try on his home debut for the side.
Tynedale hit back, when a long looping pass out wide landed in the hands of Will Roberts who tumbled over, but the extras were unable to be added.
Smith then added another three, but it was Tynedale who were on the front foot again, this time Joe Beaty scoring after an excellent nudge from Leslie saw the ball end up in his hands.
It was an excellent response from Hoppers, they won the ball from the restart and a few quick passes saw Jake Maher score.
There was a tense ending, though, Smith scored a penalty to give Hoppers a seven point lead, but it was Tynedale who had a chance to level when Ben Haigh crashed over.
All eyes were on Leslie to level the game with a last-minute conversion, who slotted it away to confirm a draw in an end-to-end affair.
Preston Grasshoppers head coach Dan Orwin was frustrated with the final outcome. "We should have closed that one out", said Orwin. "I said to the players we're very close to being a very good team, but we're not quite there yet. With a minute to go, we should be staying tight, keeping the ball, but we gave away the ball in our 22, and it was inevitable they were going to score. It feeld like a missed opportunity again from our side."

Chris Leslie's view of the match:-

In a thrilling and unpredictable match, Preston Grasshoppers and Tynedale battled to a 31-31 draw, a game that saw moments of brilliance marred by costly errors. The match ebbed and sometimes flowed, leaving the spectators nail bitten right until the final whistle.
Tynedale struck first, opening the scoring in the 16th minute with a superb try from Hutton, converted by Leslie. The Northumbrians looked sharp early on, capitalising on Preston's defensive lapses. However, Preston responded quickly, cutting the deficit with an unconverted try at the 21-minute mark to bring the score to 5-7.
Both teams exchanged blows as the first half wore on. Preston nudged ahead at 30 minutes through a penalty kick, making it 8-7, only for Tynedale to regain the lead with Bell's try, once again converted by Leslie. Preston added a late penalty before halftime, going into the break trailing 11-14.
The second half began with Preston in control, scoring a converted try just three minutes after the restart to take an 18-14 lead. The game then descended into a scrappy affair, with both sides struggling to maintain momentum. Tynedale managed to retake the lead at 51 minutes when Roberts crossed the line, but their advantage was short-lived as Preston fired back moments later.
In a rollercoaster sequence, Beaty's try in the 58th minute put Tynedale up again, only for Preston to snatch the lead back yet again at 61 minutes. With just five minutes left, Preston seemed to have sealed the game when they stretched their advantage to 31-24.
But Tynedale, down to 14 men due to a yellow card, refused to give up. In the dying moments of the game, Haigh found space to score a vital try. Leslie, showing nerves of steel, slotted the conversion to secure a dramatic draw.
While Tynedale showed flashes of brilliance, especially through Hanning's powerful running and Nankiville's relentless tackling, their performance was often undermined by handling errors, particularly in the second half when they dropped two crucial balls over the try line. Despite these blunders, they showed immense character to fight back and salvage a point at the death.
Ultimately, it was a match of contrasting fortunes, with both sides enjoying periods of dominance, only to falter under pressure. For Tynedale, the ability to claw back a result, despite being down a player, is a testament to their resilience and never-say-die attitude. Preston, on the other hand, will rue their inability to close out the game in the final minutes.