STOURBRIDGE 43, WHARFEDALE 6.

STUNNING STOURBRIDGE were delighted to be back at home as they made light work of the difficult conditions to run in seven tries in a sparkling 43-6 victory over Wharfedale.

Stour have suffered three away defeats so far this season so to be back at Stourton Park was a welcome relief to Neil Mitchell’s young charges as they chalked up their second win of the season.

The game did not kick-off with the hosts in the ascendancy as it was the visitors who were looking the more dangerous as they tested a low on confidence home side. They soon made their possession count with a successful penalty, which gave them the lead.

The hosts were however thrown an early life-line, which was to inject them into life as full-back Ally Bressington made a crucial interception 10 metres from his own try line.

His pace carried him deep into Wharfedale territory before cutting inside to release scrum-half Tom Richardson who made no mistake and went over.

Three minuteslater a smart pick up and run from the diminutive Richardson saw him add his second try of the afternoon.

The hosts were now brimming in confidence and their persistent pressure paid dividends when an inside pass by fly-half Jon Higgins gave centre Ben Barkley the opportunity to burst through for his first try of the afternoon.

Five minutes later live -wire winger Martin Freeman was hauled upjust short of the visitors line, but play was quickly switched from one side of the field to the other where Barkley was on hand to score his second try of the game and in the process secured the hosts a four-try bonus point.

There was still time in a pulsating first-half for Barkley to complete his hat trick and a memorable opening spell of free-flowing rugby.

The game looked all but over at this point but many home supporters were still recollecting nightmare memories of five years ago. On that day Wharfedale overturned a 36-10 half-time deficit to leave a stunned Stourton Park crowd surveying a 42-41 defeat.

However, with the second-half conditions in the favour of the hosts it looked unlikely the battered visitors would be able repeat such heroics, and so it proved.

Despite having less second half possession Stour defended better than they had all season as they filled the holes that had let them far to often in their three defeats at Cambridge, Birmingham Solihull Bees and so disappointingly at Blaydon the week before.

Their watertight defence was to be well-supported by some excellent attacking flair that saw them cross the whitewash on a furthertwo occasions.

The first followed a superbly weighted chip through by the impressive Higgins allowing Adam Billig to ground it for the score.

A superb afternoon for Stour was completed in injury time when that man Higgins broke through an energy-sapped Wharfedale defence to set up Bressington who converted his own try to bring up the final 43-6 score line and yet more home cheer for the Stourton crowd.