Dudley Kingswinford 50 Walsall 7
MIDLANDS One leaders DK collected their fourth consecutive win of the new season along with another bonus point in an eight tries to one win over Walsall in an entertaining Black Country derby.

Though DK eventually won comfortably in front of more than 500 fans the visitors began strongly and the hosts found themselves trailing 0-7 after ten minutes.

Kings were slow to settle but when they did it was one-way traffic as once again their pace and power caused pandemonium in Walsall’s defensive ranks and it was a shame referee Chris Newton slowed the pace with some pedantic decisions.

Walsall attacked strongly at the onset but tellingly their scrum was not able to shove the DK eight around as they did in the corresponding fixture last year. Nevertheless they took a deserved lead when fly-half Matt Wood neatly sidestepped a hesitant DK cover to send in centre Richard Weston at the posts, Wood converting.

It did not take DK long to get into their stride, Luke Greenwood got over the Walsall line on 19 minutes but the ball was held up.

The first DK try came after 22 minutes when good play from Ian Langford and James Jefferson culminated in a ruck five metres out. The ball was moved inside to Stefan Shillingford who powered over close in, Gareth Bown converting to level.

DK were controlling the loose ball and on 28 minutes a well-executed catch-and-drive five metres out saw Ollie Shakespeare tap down for Jamie Ramsey to drive over in the corner. Bown added a fine conversion from touch for DK to forge ahead 14-7.

There was to be no way back for the visitors as DK kept up the pressure and were rewarded after 37 minutes when livewire number eight Ramsey again drove over, this time direct from a five-metre scrum, Bown adding the extras.

The game was over as a contest within seven minutes of the restart as DK scored three tries in an incredible five-minute spell. On 42 minutes DK turned over Walsall possession near halfway and slick handling straight down the back line saw left wing Jak Davis in half a yard of space. It was all the in-form speedster needed as he flew down the line to score an unconverted try in the corner for 26-7.

Another brilliant try followed on 45 minutes, Davis fielded a defensive kick well inside the DK half and immediately moved the ball inside to Simon Fletcher advancing apace. The full-back’s superb incisive 45-metre break shredded the Walsall cover defence before his pass outside to right wing Jefferson saw the latter round the last two Walsall defenders to score another unconverted try in the corner.

Kings were flying and scored a sixth length-of-the-field try two minutes later, replacement Tui Asi Pito provided a powerful midfield break carried on upfield through at least eight pairs of hands culminating in Asi Pito finishing the move he started less than 30 seconds after entering the fray. Bown provided another monster conversion from touch to increase the DK lead to 38-7.

DK might have had a seventh try after 63 minutes but for a mysterious forward pass that only the official spotted. Not to be denied, another 40-metre break from Fletcher gave DK options and a Jon Higgins miss pass to Shillingford saw the centre cross for his second try of the game to make it 43-7 in the 73rd minute.

The hosts then reached 50 points with their eighth and final try on 79 minutes. DK looked to have an easy run in to the posts but somehow the ball skidded off a stray boot and spun over the Walsall line near the touchline where the alert Jefferson managed to touch the ball down, with Bown making sure with another touchline kick.