A superb second half display, capped by a match winning try from Craig Richards eight minutes from time, gave Stourbridge four valuable points at Cinderford.

The win moves the Stourton Park club into tenth place in the National 1 table, a point behind next week’s visitors Redruth.

Four wins in the last five games also means that Stour are now looking ambitiously in an upwards direction, rather than nervously over their shoulder.

Fifth placed Blaydon, who were hammered at Stourton a month ago, now sit only four points ahead of Neil Mitchell’s men.

This makes the next month an enticing prospect for the club.

Stour scored 22 second half points through tries from Tom Richardson, Ben Gerry and Richards, plus two conversions and a penalty from Jon Higgins.

After the visitors turned round 3-12 down, Richardson struck direct from the kick off to set up a fascinating second period.

Gerry was driven over from a close range line out midway through the half, before Richards finished off a superbly constructed move in the 72nd minute.

These scores were interspersed with three penalties from home fly half Danny Pointon, which meant that Stour only held the lead for the last eight minutes, after Richards’ score.

This left a nervous finale for visiting fans, during which even the club’s under 12 team were momentarily quietened, before referee Darren Gamage’s final blast triggered the celebrations to commence.

The first half had been a largely forgettable affair, with all the points coming in the last ten minutes.

Cinderford broke the deadlock when their leading try scorer, winger Reuben Haile, was driven over from close range on the half hour.

Shortly after, Stour’s attempts to exploit a one man advantage, while Chris Jones was in the sin bin, led to a floated pass being intercepted by the home side’s other winger, Robert Winchle, who scuttled 85 metres to the line.

A Jon Higgins penalty finally got the visitors on the board on the stroke of half time, to provide momentum for the enthralling final 40 minutes.

Man of the Match – Ben Gerry Teams: Cinderford – Bressington; Winchle, Plummer, Scourfield, Haile; Pointon, Arnott; Kennedy, Matthews (Duncan, 53), Deacon; Bufton, Jones; McNeil (Panoho, 70), Foden, Evans.

Reps – Smart, D.Knight, Boston.

Stourbridge – Richards, Tennuci, Robinson, Barkley, Johnson; Higgins, Richardson; Sturdy (Baker, 75), Gerry, Lawrence; Homer, Hughes; Rodley, Cooper, Pearson.

Reps – Keylock, Taylor, Bache, Chance.

Referee – Darren Gamage