DUDLEY Kingswinford recovered from the shock of going 10-0 down after only nine minutes to eventually beat rivals Walsall.

The Heathbrook side were back on level terms by half time and their superior fitness saw them dominate a one sided second half.

DK have now beaten every side in the division except for Burton who are the only side to have beaten them twice.

There were three changes from the DK side that won at Whitchurch last week, one of them positional. Dan Shakespeare replaced Adam Blackford at hooker, Robbie Jones replaced Jak Davis on the left wing and Jordan Brookes moved from scrum half to outside centre in place of the injured Tom Weaver, with Tommy Huggins coming back into the side at scrum half.

Walsall started very strongly and dominated the early exchanges. A strong driving maul in the very first minute saw hooker Jamie Scott plunge over for the first try and following further heavy pressure and strong scrummaging they quickly moved the ball wide to left winger Andy Turner on 9 minutes and he went over in the corner to make it 0-10.

Walsall centre Matt Wood was yellow carded after 11 minutes for an illegal block and from the penalty DK took immediate advantage.

They moved the ball right then left for left wing Nick Adams to squeeze in at the corner to make it 5-10.

On 15 minutes Walsall’s No 8 was fortunate to receive just a yellow card after a spear tackle on Ben Connett. DK though were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority and the visitors survived a short spell with 13 men unscathed.

Having weathered Walsall’s powerful early surge DK had come back strongly into the game and were giving the visitor’s heavy pack a bit of a run-around in the loose. They should have scored after 20 minutes but a forward pass a couple of metres out spoiled the move.

As the game progressed, DK’s domination increased forcing Walsall to give away penalties. Nick Adams kicked one after 35 minutes to make it 8-10 before DK took the lead for the first time on 38 minutes.

James Jefferson fielded a defensive kick just outside the DK 22 and chipped the ball over the advancing Walsall line towards the touchline. Somehow the ball stayed in touch and Robbie Jones followed up, skilfully hacking the ball on 40m over the Walsall line to touch down.

Nick Adams’s conversion made it 15-10 to DK. This stung Walsall into action again and in their first real attack for over 20 minutes or so they won a maul on the DK 22 and following a phase of slick inter-passing, full back Chris Mould touched down to level the scores at 15 each just on half time.

Walsall got a third yellow card on 43 minutes when fly half Andy Hawkins was sin binned for foul play and Nick Adams kicked DK 18-15 ahead from the penalty.

Pete Knight was yellow carded after 49 minutes for tackling when grounded but it did not prevent DK from increasing their lead on 55 minutes with an excellent try from James Jefferson, Nick Adams’ conversion making it 25-15.

The visitors were visibly tiring and almost all the play was now in the Walsall half. Nick Adams increased the DK lead to 28-15 with a 61st minute penalty and it should have been increased even further after 64 minutes, but to his utter chagrin replacement hooker Luke Greenwood spilled the greasy ball from just two metres out.

DK then camped on the Walsall line and when the ball squirted loose out of a 5m Walsall scrum after 65 minutes Ian Langford was on it in a flash to pick up and touch down DK’s fourth try to make it 33-15.