DIRECTOR of Rugby Carl Douglas thinks Dudley Kingswinford's first win in 38 games could prove a significant turning point for the club.

DK battled their way to a much-needed 24-18 victory over bottom side Burton at Heathbrook last Saturday as they put 18 months of defeat and disappointment behind them.

Douglas said: "I'm really pleased for the players and supporters. A lot of people, both on and off the field, have really stuck by the club during a very difficult period.

"It could be a significant victory for us but it's ultimately a small step on a longer journey.

"I hope we can now build on that. We are far from the finished article but it is a step in the right direction.

"The win has been coming for a few weeks now and it will hopefully remind the players that they are good enough.

Against Burton, it was the home side that started the brighter and could have taken a quick lead if Kieran Pinches had kicked a penalty chance in the first five minutes.

However, DK were left frustrated after their possession and pressure couldn't be turned into points. Instead, against the run of play, it was Burton that opened the scoring.

The visitors took a quick penalty that resulted in Darryl Banton getting clear to make it 5-0. The try went unconverted.

More frustration followed when, on 17 minutes, David Archer intercepted a DK pass to race away for another Burton try. He then got up to convert to take the score quickly to 12-0.

DK reacted well to the set back and finally got on the scoreboard when a quickly-taken penalty saw Liam Marshall go over for their first try, which was converted by Pinches.

Burton soon limited the damage, however, when Archer kicked a penalty after DK were penalised for offside straight after the kick off.

But DK brought themselves within a point at the break when Richard Kelley powered over on 38 minutes after the ball was worked out to the right. Pinches converted to leave the half time score 14-15.

An evenly matched second period came to life when DK's Nick Adams broke away to score on 53 minutes. Again, Pinches converted.

He then bagged a vital penalty five minutes later to extend the home side's advantage to 24-15.

However, the visitors were handed a way back into the contest when Tony Gordan saw yellow after illegally halting a Burton advance.

But, with a long-awaiting victory insight, DK's defence held firm.

There was just time for Archer to slot home a late penalty to give Burton a bonus point as the scores finished 24-18.

"The really pleasing thing for me was the way we kept our composure despite conceding to tries against the run of play," added Douglas. "The players' attitude was first class.

"I thought we lost our shape a little in the second half and it resulted in us having to soak up a lot of pressure. But our defence came out on top to get what could prove a crucial win."

DK will look to build on the win when they travel to Sutton Coldfield this Saturday.