DK 7 Stourbridge 29 (From Stourbridge News)

DK 7 Stourbridge 29

5:44pm Saturday 22nd December 2012 in Stourbridge RFC

A COMMANDING display from Stourbridge saw them ease to derby glory at Dudley Kingswinford.

Drew Harper scored following a lineout catch and drive to put the visitors ahead and further tries from Ben Hughes and Peter White put them in control.

The hosts started the second half brightly but Robbie Hurrell made sure of the bonus point with a breakaway score.

DK never stopped working and got a deserved consolation try through Duncan Chance at the death.

That prevented the shutout and was celebrated with the same gusto as a winning score by the home support at a packed Heathbrook, just reward after a tough afternoon for their side.

It wasn’t that DK played badly. They defended superbly during the opening quarter and enjoyed more possession during a spirited second half performance.

But Stourbridge, as they have been so often this season, were a class apart.

There was a distinct sense of inevitability from the outset and at no stage did they look like failing to record their 16th win of what is rapidly becoming an historic campaign.

It is surely now a case of when and not if they secure the National League Two North title.

By contrast, DK must dust themselves down and prepare for what on paper is a brutal January fixture list. Their survival is far from assured.

Stour could have opened the scoring inside a minute but for a wayward final pass from Sione Tu’ipolotu.

What followed was 14 minutes of stout DK defending and eye-catching tackling as Stour pushed and probed, before eventually going ahead through Harper.

The number eight has benefited from numerous catch and drive tries this season and here is was no different as he touched down after DK initially looked to have repelled the first attack.

Four minutes later Stour got their second through Hughes after great work from White, taking a quick free-kick and catching the hosts napping, had set up Hurrell for a burst down the wing.

Scrum-half White was the standout player in the opening period and soon had a score of his own after combining with James Rodley to put the Saxons 19-0 up.

It was already looking like a long afternoon for the hosts but they were able to prevent the Saxons adding any more points in the opening period. Indeed, they should have got on the scoresheet themselves only for Jimmy Gore to make the wrong decision by cutting inside, denying Chris Perry an almost certain score following a fine team move.

DK continued to frustrate the visitors early in the second half as they enjoyed their best spell. But crucially they were unable to turn pressure into points and after Lucas Roy-Smith’s kick was not fielded, Harper was able to set up Hurrell for the bonus point score.

Jamie Hearn, who kicked three of four conversions, slotted a long range penalty on the hour mark to make it 29-0.

That looked like completing the scoring until the final seconds when a clearance kick from Matt Farrington was pounced on by Chance and he dashed a full 50 metres to score under the posts, Jon Higgins hitting the conversion.