This was a creditable performance against strong, well-drilled opposition by an inexperienced Tynedale team including youngsters Shaun Taylor and Josh Scollick having only their second games of senior rugby. By contrast, Scott Guyatt and Jim Henry were returning to the game after 10 year and 20 year absences respectively. All four contributed hugely during the match.

A lively start by the Centurions saw the effervescent Brogan Millar drive and touch down over the 5-metre line and his celebration convinced the referee to signal try before the opposition kindly pointed out the error. This field position was not wasted as Ed Weir and Jason Armstrong drove close until a scrum was awarded and Jake Sloan released Martyn Hutton to burst over the correct whitewash with the scorer adding the conversion.

The visitors hit back with two tries after penalties awarded for offences at the ruck, the first of many similar infringements that conceded field position and scores throughout the game to the visitors.

Good work by Will Jonas and Jonny Pape created a position for an alert Robbie Binks to dart over but further Tynedale indiscipline saw the seasiders score two further tries following penalties to leave them with a half-time lead, 12-28.

After the break both teams had chances as they ran the ball but Whitley Bay were clinical in possession. They added two more touchdowns through their threequarters whilst dropped and misplaced passes squandered home opportunities. At this point the game was slipping away and it required desperate defending by Matt Lynch, Sloan, Jonas and Millar to keep the Bay at bay.

Then Hutton decided to stage a one-man recovery mission as he scored the try of the match showing pace and power from half-way. Binks and Jonas were beginning to click in the line out and, from an off the top ball, Hutton was able to crash over for his hat-trick. Andy Purvis ran well from full-back to set up a dangerous attack but missed the opportunity to release Hutton on a dangerous blind-side run.

This potential fight-back ended when the visitors scored an excellent late try but, there were lots of positives to be taken from the effort and fight shown by a much-changed Centurions team.