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Stourbridge brought their season to a close with a 27 -23 home victory against an in-form Southend, running in four tries to secure the bonus point in a close fought and entertaining encounter.

Local hero Jon Hall (pictured) led out the home team to great applause in recognition of his 200th first team appearance.

The visitors took the lead as early as the second minute when Andrew Frost slotted home a penalty. Stourbridge were making a hesitant start although their forwards attained good ground through their rolling mauls. The power and pressure of the Stour forwards began to tell, eventually setting up a move that saw Ally Muldowney go over. They then had a chance to increase their slender lead through a penalty, but it was fired wide.

Less than 15 minutes had elapsed when an injury to Stourbridge full-back Tom Jarvis caused an early reshuffle of their backs, Ally Bressington came on at wing, allowing Jon Hall to drop to full-back.

Southend regained the lead with a second penalty from Frost. Four minutes later Stourbridge had a chance to retake the lead with a penalty of their own, when Southend's Dan Johnson was yellow carded, but the opportunity was missed. The visitors increased their lead on the half hour mark when speedy winger Tyson Lewis punished a Stourbridge fumble to score with a 70 metre run, cutting through the Stour ranks, leaving defenders trailing in his wake on his way to the try-line. A second yellow card for the visitors was eventually punished when Bressington converted a penalty with the last kick of the half to reduce the deficit to 8-13.

Stourbridge started the second half in a different vein of form, producing some fine rugby to run in three tries within 17 minutes and secure a bonus point.

The first arrived within two minutes of the restart.

Bressington harried the defence following a long kick and chase, Southend fumbled under the pressure and Greg King grounded for the try.

Three minutes later fine defensive work by Hall saw the ball move deep into Southend territory, play was switched cross field resulting in a move down the right wing and a try for Bressington. The home side continued to pour forward and within minutes seemed to have scored again but a knock on, at the very point of grounding, denied them. The respite for Southend was short-lived as Stour added their fourth try of the day shortly afterwards.

The home side repelled a Southend attack with a long clearance that saw their own speed merchant Martin Freeman in hot pursuit. He sprinted a blistering 60 metres, passing chasing opponents as if they were standing still, arriving via a full length dive to secure the ball on the visitors 22. The ball was worked across field and Bressington went over wide on the right for the second time in the half.

He then added a conversion to give his side a 14-point cushion.

The half had so far belonged entirely to Stourbridge but in the 64th minute, against the run of play, Southend halved the lead with a converted try. Fly-half Joel Johnson made an excellent break from midfield but appeared to be isolated; however, he produced a superb reverse pass to put in full-back Simon Hoult for the score.

The match had swung again with the visitors now in control and Stourbridge needing a last ditch, try saving tackle from Hall, to maintain their lead. Further pressure saw Southend awarded a penalty with three minutes remaining and although the kick was successful it appeared a strange option to take at this point in the game. Stourbridge defended well and retained possession for the last couple of minutes, plus four minutes of nerve jangling injury time, to run out 27-23 winners.

11:17am Thursday 1st May 2008

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