Regional Midlands One

Stourbridge 46 Newent RFC 40

NEWENT’S first visit to Stourbridge’s Stourton Park state-of-the-art facilities, complete with 4G pitch, resulted in an agonising defeat but two bonus points.

The game was played at a relentless pace with the physicality sustained throughout an absorbing contest.

Stourbridge started strongly, working through the phases to create space for winger Mark Harrison to finish in the right-hand corner with less than two minutes played, fly-half Fred Morgan converting.

Newent’s Leo Oakey then evaded tacklers before finding Ben Brown, who cut back inside at pace to touch down beneath the posts, Doug Long adding the extras (7-7).

A superb break from deep by outside centre Joe Warner was halted by fine tackle cover, but slick handling put Brown in for another good finish wide on the left (7-12).

But the lead quickly changed hands again, Newent penalised for offside 10m out and Stourbridge running the ball to Morgan to cross to the right of the posts.

Second row Dan Fletcher queried the grounding and received a yellow for “dissent” before Morgan made it 14-12.

But Dylan Leney then broke from a scrum before chipping ahead, Joe Warner gathering the kick and exchanging passes with Fin Mellis before finding Leney, who was halted by a high tackle 20m out only for Warner to tap the penalty and run through unopposed to score, Long converting for 14-19.

The Panthers’ Dan Rundle then came off the left wing at pace to loop around and finish to the right of the posts without a finger laid on him for 19-19.

Back came Newent as Brown powered over between the posts from a tap penalty for his hat-trick and Newent’s bonus point, Long’s conversion making it 19-26.

But Stour equalised with the last play of the half, inside centre Jack Teague taking an offload to go under the posts, and Morgan converting (26-26).

After the restart, a Stour driving maul saw Teague cut a good line, knocking the pass forward but regathering and touching down (31-26).

Newent responded with a length-of-the-field try though, Kyle Towers fielding a dangerous grubber deep in his 22 before Warner scorched through a gap to halfway, exchanged passes with Josh Lever and fed the big No 8 again to score, Long’s conversion edging Newent ahead (31-33)

But Stour then worked through multiple phases, before No 8 Jolby Beech crossed to the right, Morgan’s conversion making it 38-33.

Brown was then yellow carded for catching Morgan late trying to charge down a kick, with Stour going through the phases again and full-back Ben Freeman touching down wide on the right (43-33).

A minor skirmish saw the referee sin bin home second row Jake Kelly and Newent prop Tom Woodman.

But the Green Army then worked upfield before hooker Ethan Allen broke away 25m out and touched down, Long’s conversion making it 43-40 with ten minutes left.

Newent were then penalised however in front of their posts, attracting a yellow card for Jim Hartland, and Morgan kicking the goal (46-40).

The visitors pressed for a try, the referee sin-binning Panthers open-side Will Bishop for an early tackle, but the hosts stood firm, eventually winning a penalty for a jackal and kicking out to end the game.

There were also plenty of points at Ross-on-Wye RFC, as the hosts were pipped 39-33 by Matson, with Longlevens the visitors this Saturday (March 14).