Bramley Buffaloes 40
Gateshead Storm 22

The hosts' resolve was tested after being seemingly in total control early on.

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Their early points blitz proved the difference, as Storm fought back gamely to close the gap but just left themselves too much too do.

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Bramley were without points machine Paul Drake but that hardly seemed to unsettle them as they got off to a rip roaring start.

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They registered points in the first minute as the elusive Robin Wilkes showed excellent speed and balance to go over midway between the posts and the corner flag, Matthew Booth adding the conversion.

Storm were guilty of trying to slow the play-the-ball play down in an effort to impede the Buffaloes progress, the referee eventually losing patience and penalising them.

As a result, Chris Gardner powered for the line and was held up over it but following a quick play-the-ball, it was spun wide right and stand-in centre Jim Shuttleworth crossed for an easy score, which again Booth converted.

Gateshead's first real threat saw Michael Lassen just bundled into touch close to the try line but the visitors struggled to contain the home pack, particularly Alex White, Wilkes and Gardner.

In a fine move, Wilkes off-loaded to the supporting Graham Harrison on half-way who then found Danny O'Connor who broke free of three tacklers and swerved around full back Josh Stoker to score a superb try.

From the kick-off, Nick Fontaine opened up the Storm defence with a mesmerising run which saw the ball eventually go out to Shuttleworth who weaved his way back in-field and although tackled was able to stretch out and score between the posts.

Booth kept up his perfect kicking record and on 23 minutes Bramley posted their fifth try when on the sixth tackle when he hoisted a huge up and under which was allowed to bounce around 30 metres from the Storm line, wide left near the touchline.

Shaun Flynn hacked it forward before Robert Roxborough could get to it, Dan Caston in support collected and flicked in on to Booth who scored out wide and, for good measure, added a difficult touchline conversion to make it 30-0.

From looking like being overwhelmed, Storm suddenly found their feet and rhythm to hit back.

Taking advantage of two home knock-ons, from a scrum just inside the Buffaloes half, the ball was passed quickly to powerful centre Mark Cunningham who showed an excellent turn of pace to beat Andy McGann and score in the corner.

From the re-start, Bramley were penalised twice providing Storm with good field position and good hands and dummy running saw Chris Burnett go through a gap to score unopposed by the posts, John Coutts converting.

With confidence growing, Gateshead looked a different team and they registered their third try in seven minutes when a deft chip over was collected by Cunningham who ran 20 metres to score.

Buffaloes re-grouped and for the first time in over 10 minutes got their hands on the ball following a Storm knock-on.

That proved costly as Nathan Anderson found space and sent Simon Speight crashing over in the corner a minute before the interval.

The start of the second half saw Anderson just hauled down by Cunningham after a 40 metre break as Bramley appeared to have re-discovered their flowing attacking game, Wilkes and then Hulme then going close to scoring.

Gateshead's scrambling defence was up to the task, O'Connor again being held up over the line.

Storm then applied some pressure of their own with Steven Coutts instrumental as he targeted the left through Cunningham and Aitken, forcing a goal-line drop out.

On 57 minutes Harrison scored another valuable trademark try for Bramley, when he went over from dummy half which Sam Thorpe hotly disputed and was sin-binned for dissent.

Gateshead continued to use the ball inventively and forced two further drop outs and when Caston was sin-binned on 65 minutes for dissent, made the extra man tell. Roxborough found space to go over for what proved to be the final score although Caston had a late try disallowed for offside.

Bramley Buffaloes: 1. Andy McGann, 2. Nick Fontaine, 3.Dan Caston, 4. Jim Shuttleworth, 5. Shaun Flynn, 6. Matthew Booth, 7. Jon Nicholls, 8. Chris Gardner, 9. Graham Harrison 10. Alex White, 11. Simon Speight, 12. Robin Wilkes, 13. Danny O'Connor, Subs (all used) 14. Richard Hulme, 15. Nathan Anderson, 16. Antony Ward, 17. Daniel Lavery.
Tries: Shuttleworth (10 & 20), Wilkes (1), O'Connor (17), Booth (23), Speight (39),
Harrison (57)
Goals: Booth 6/7

Gateshead Storm: 1. Josh Stoker, 2. Scott Aitken, 3. Mark Cunningham, 4. Michael Lassen, 5. Robert Roxborough, 6. Steven Coutts, 7. John Coutts, 8. David Cash, 9. Reece Young, 10. Stephen Welton, 11. Chris Burnett, 12. Mick Dixon, 13. Neil Emmerson, Subs (all used) 14. Sam Thorpe, 15. Amraz Hamid, 16. Craig Ollivant, 17. Melvyn Brown.
Tries: Cunningham (28 & 34), Burnett (31), Roxborough (67)
Goals: J Coutts 3/4

Sin-Binned: Thorpe (Gateshead Storm) – Dissent (57 mins), Caston (Bramley Buffaloes) – Referee Abuse (65 mins)

Referee: Andy Tolley

Man of the Match:
Bramley Buffaloes - Robin Wilkes
Gateshead Storm - Mark Cunningham