Old Yardleians 10 - 30 Stourbridge Lions

AN away game at Old Yardleians, where a 13-0 half-time lead last season led to ultimate defeat, ended with a 30-10 win and maximum bonus points, but coach John Tibbetts will know that things could go much better, with an uncharacteristically poor start against opponents who proved tougher than earlier in the season.

The Lions started with a series of misplaced passes, lost balls in contact and a general feeling amongst fans that there was too much, rather than too little urgency.

Play was fractured, suiting the sizeable home pack and the Lions didn’t do enough to move their opponents around and build phases.

An early Trinham penalty was matched by a drop goal and then another penalty from Trinham was followed by pressure on both lines, with the penalty count mounting against the Lions.

Eventually, however, some fine movement and passing from left to right saw Joe Loverock charge over down the wing, Trinham converted to make the half-time score 13-3 to the Lions.

The hosts applied pressure in the opening minutes of the second half but despite this Fallows scored the first of his two tries under the posts, with a smart inside pass in the backs and another conversion from Trinham.

Shortly after a breakout and pressure from the Lions' backs put Fallows over again down the left wing for 25-3 lead with around 30 minutes to go.

The Lions then seemed to ease off and Old Yardleians put their defence under extreme pressure, scoring a try from a scrum under the posts and bringing the score back to 25-10.

Thereafter the were a few yellow cards for both sides and the Lions, mindful of the chasing pack in the league, led by Camp Hill and Leek, pushed for the fourth try and the bonus point.

Eventually, almost on full time a line out against a home side short of two sin-binned players, led to a drive to the line and a touch down under a pile of bodies by Jim Owen.

A hard-fought match against energetic opponents who belied their league position left the Lions two points clear at the top after Walsall and Camp Hill both lost.

There will be tough games ahead but, failing injuries and other absences, this is the best position the Lions have ever been in and they have a chance to go even higher if they maintain form.

In a very good weekend for the club all round, the Greyhounds won local bragging rights by completing a Midlands Reserve League double over DK thirds 38-8, the Grasshoppers won 34-5 away at Redditch seconds and the Colts finished it off with a storming 43-28 Colts league victory at Shrewsbury.