NORTHUMBERLAND 25pts

Tries: J Smales, Beasley, Murray, Cole.

Conversion: Beasley.

Penalty: Beasley

Northumberland: ack Smales (Tynedale); Peter Cole (Morpeth), Benjamin Duncan (Tynedale), Paul Mooney (Otley), Hamish Smales (Launceston); Gavin Beasley (Tynedale), David Kay (Northern); Johnny Williams (Tynedale), Mathew Hall (Blaydon), Rupert Harden (Tynedale), David Guthrie (Blaydon, captain), Graeme Smith (London Scottish), Tim Swinson (Tynedale), Grant Rastall (Tynedale), Jason Smithson (Blaydon).

Replacements: Paul Winter (Blaydon) for Harden 50, Mathew Fieldhouse (Tynedale) for Hall 70, Peter Southern (Tynedale) for Williams 65, David Whitehead (Blaydon) for Guthrie 17-27 and 62 and for Smithson 49-61, Grant Beasley (Tynedale) for Rastall 70, Andrew Murray (Tynedale) for Smith 45, Charles Rayner (Darlington Mowden Park) for J Smales 74.

CORNWALL 11pts

Try: Thirlby.v Penalties: Scrivener 2.

Cornwall: Paul Thirlby (Redruth); Lewis Vinnicombe (Redruth), Ryan Westren (Launceston), Steve Perry (Launceston), Jamie Semmens (Mounts Bay); Marc Scrivener (Launceston), Mark Richards (Redruth); Darren Jacques (Redruth), James Salter (Mounts Bay), Danny Clackworthy (Mounts Bay), Richard Carroll (Mounts Bay), Ben Hilton (Mounts Bay), Josh Lord (Launceston, captain), Adam Nicholls (Mounts Bay), Sam Hocking (Launceston).

Replacements: Ricky Pellow (Mounts Bay) for Richards 54, Sam Parsons (Cornish Pirates) for Vinnicombe 57, Darren Semmens (Mounts Bay) for Salter 64, John Griffiths (Mounts Bay) for Carroll 69, Mark Churcher (Mounts Bay) for Thirlby 65, Christopher Fuca (Redruth) for Nicholls 51, Jason Bolt (Launceston) for Jacques 69.

Referee: Richard Phillips (RFU)

THERE was to be no repeat of the epic 1991 and recent 1999 County Championship victories for Cornwall after they were well beaten by four tries to one in the final played at Twickenham on Sunday.

A well-drilled Northumberland side who knew what they were about took the lead after 10 minutes with a try by Jack Smales and as the Duchy chased the game they made too many mistakes.

After signing for Exeter in midweek Matt Jess dropped out of the Cornwall side, Jamie Semmens taking his place and Pirate Sam Parsons moving on to the bench.

Cornwall lacked nothing for support for a Sunday morning kick off in South West London. Black and gold shirts dominated the lower tier of the west stand. The players tried but there was a big gap between the teams. In the crowd were former Cornish heroes such as Graham Bate, captain of the 1969 final team, and Falmouth's David Muirhead.

Northumberland used six replacement forwards and played with a physicality that Cornwall struggled to match at the breakdown. Referee Richard Phillips had some testing moments but kept his cards in his pocket.

The Tyndale players in the Northumberland side certainly put down a marker for next season's clashes with Redruth, Launceston and Mounts Bay in national division two.

Playing on the game's biggest stage, many of the Cornish players will be disappointed with their performance. Only Redruth's Mark Richards enhanced his reputation with three try-saving tackles and some astute tactical kicks.

The Northerners kicked off and Cornwall, who scored in the opening minutes of all three group games, were soon on the attack through Sam Hocking but a score did not materalise.

Lewis Vinnicombe possibly gave Jack Smales a little too much room on the outside as the Tyndale full back squeezed between Vinnicombe and the touchline to open the scoring with an unconverted try after 10 minutes.

Fly half Gavin Beasley, selected for the England counties, added a penalty seven minutes later before Cornwall hit back with a penalty from Mark Scrivener in the 19th minute.

Under pressure, Vinnicombe looked to run out of defence but when closed down his clearance kick failed to find touch and allowed Beasley an easy run in for the second try in the 31st minute.

Scrivener, who is thought to be considering a return to Redruth next season, lifted Cornish spirits with a 45 metre penalty in the 34th minute.

The Duchy were fortunate to go into the interval trailing 13-6 as Northumberland were held up over the line and had a try disallowed for a forward pass in the few minutes leading up to the break.

The first score in the second half was going to be crucial and Northumberland showed patience before replacement Andrew Murray touched down in the left hand corner after 49 minutes.

Richard Carroll tried to raise the Duchy with a couple of surging runs and Jamie Semmens had a couple of darts before Paul Thirlby went over close to a ruck in the 59th minute.

Thirlby was having a pulled hamstring strapped up and could only watch as Peter Cole gathered a cross kick from Beasley to touch down in the right hand corner in the 62nd minute. Beasley converting to complete the scoring.

Blaydon veteran Dave Guthrie, son of Sunderland's 1972 Cup winning full back Ron, went up to receive the shield as the Northumberland skipper.