Stourbridge 27

Luctonians 18

AFTER cruising to a 19 point lead on the half-hour, Stour allowed errors to creep into their game allowing Luctonians to stay in the match .

Stour showed their intention to run the ball wherever possible early on, and a bulldozing run by centre Ben Barkley saw him offload to partner Sione Tu’ipolotu, who was only hauled down by a desperate last-ditch cover tackle.

He attracted four or five tacklers in the next move but they couldn’t hold him out a second time as he touched down to score.

Barkley was then the quickest to react to Lucs’ spilling the ball in midfield, gathering it up and tearing downfield where he fed outside half Gareth Bown.

Bown coolly drew the last defender and fed Tu’ipolotu who touched down in the left corner for his second try.

Stour’s next attack found Hearn with space to work in. He was hauled down short of the line but referee Ridley took exception to a Lucs’ hand in the ruck and he produced a yellow card.

Stour scented blood, kicked for the corner and attempted a catch and drive, but the maul was held up again.

A penalty award gave them another attempt though, and they trundled over with Harper holding the ball.

Lucs were awarded two penalties in quick succession for offside that they ran, a three-quarter working a mismatch to run round a tight five defender to score.

Lucs were content to play the half out sending kicks from deep and these were defused without fuss until scrum half Ben Williams hoisted a brute that was gathered on halfway by his number eight, Brad Talbot.

He brushed off the tacklers and the ball was worked to flanker Dan Smith, who rounded the covering defence to score in the corner.

A Bown kick return set up a Stour lineout just outside Lucs’ 22. The hosts hammered away at the line but a pass went loose for Lucs’ outside half Will Burton.

He hared off downfield, managing to hold off the chasers to score after covering the entire pitch. Lucs mounted one last push, reaching the Stour 22, but had to settle for three points and a losing bonus point.

Bown cancelled out that penalty with one of his own before Lucs conceded a penalty that was kicked to the corner. A well worked catch and drive saw a bonus point try for sub Chris Depper.