A workmanlike performance secured victory over dogged Coventry opponents who managed to largely stifle Stour’s attacking game. An opportunist try by flanker Bobbie Lawrenson gave Stour a 17 point lead just after halftime, but this was whittled away by a youthful Broadstreet side that grew in confidence and finished the stronger. The win pushes Stour further from but not yet completely clear of relegation danger.

The Stour lineup featured few changes from the side that travelled to Otley a week before. Tom Jarvis returned at fullback and Sione Tu’ipolotu stepped up to inside centre when Ben Barkley suffered a twinge in the warm up. Lawrenson got just his second start of the season, pushing Eji Uzoigwe to the bench where he was joined by Ben Hughes making a welcome return from injury back in November. With 5 forwards on the bench Lawrenson had to cover the entire backline.

On overcast day Stour kicked off defending the South end, a light but cold Northerly breeze in their faces. Outside half Caolan Ryan broke from deep to set up an early attack but his pass was knocked on. Stour were penalised at the scrum, Broadstreet kicked to the corner and set siege to the Stour line with a catch & set of drives but were penalized themselves for a side entry. Stour advanced downfield and attacked from a lineout in the visitors’ 22. Drives by Tu’ipolotu & captain Nigel Mukarati put the attack on the front foot, and with the line beckoning a dummy at the base by scrum half Toby Handley wrongfooted Stour old boy hooker Stewart Pearl. Handley snuck over and Ryan converted, the first of his 5 successful shots at goal. 10min, 7-0.

A break by Handley from a lineout set up Stour’s next foray into the Broadstreet 22, a straightforward 3 point option for offside was declined and the ball kicked to the corner Stour couldn’t drive the maul but secured a scrum at which the visitors were again penalised. Stour opted to scrum but Drew Harper’s control let him down and he was forced into touch. The clearance kick failed to find touch though, Stour countered and flanker Dan Wright saw yellow for his 3rd penalty offence in the space of 5 minutes. Stour again went for the corner but the lineout throw went loose and Broadstreet cleared when Stour were penalised for a dangerous tackle.

A big drive by the Stour pack secured a turnover as the ball was fumbled behind a retreating scrum, Stour attacked and secured a penalty for side entry, this time Ryan kicking for goal. 25min 10-0. Stour tried to run the restart from deep but were turned over in contact then shipped a penalty for offside, outside half Ben Palmer knocking over the kick at goal. 30min 10-3.

Fine work by Robbie Hurrell secured the restart kick and Stour attacked but failed to make any ground as passes went loose. A scrum near the Broadstreet 22 produced another penalty as their loosehead went to ground, Ryan knocking over his 2nd penalty. 34min 13-3. Neither side was able to press their subsequent attacks, kicking for distance as ball carrying options ran out. Half time 13-3.

The chase of Ryan’s 2nd half kick-off was rewarded when Lawrenson managed to charge down Palmer’s clearance deep in the 22. The ball rebounded deep into the in goal but he was quick enough to gather it and score before it could go dead. 41min 20-3.

Broadstreet advanced into Stour territory thanks to the hosts’ handling errors and were rewarded when a penalty for offside was converted by Palmer. 44min 20-6.Ryan overcooked the restart and the error was compounded with a penalty for a deliberate knock-on. The visitors kicked to the corner but were unable to advance the maul so launched a set of attacks that ended with Tu’ipolotu sinbinned for going off his feet at the tackle. Palmer slotted another 3 pointer. 48min 20-9.

Handley’s chip nearly resulted in a score for the chasing Ciaran Moore, the visitors’ cover conceding a 5m scrum, but a big shove on their tighthead side secured a penalty at the scrum and they cleared. Stour’s discipline seemed to have deserted them, a rash of penalty awards found them defending a lineout deep in their 22 but they held up a maul and then forced a scrum penalty. Neither side could sustain much pressure in attack, play punctuated by frequent blasts of Mr Davies’s whistle, but after Harper was held up in in-goal to concede a 5m attacking scrum the visitors forced their way over through scrum half Nick Thatcher. 66min 20-14 and looking ominous with Stour struggling to get their hands on the ball.

A penalty award for not rolling at the tackle allowed Ryan to land a long-range effort to open up a 2-score lead, 74min 23-14. Broadstreet started to throw the ball around and were rewarded with a penalty when a defender went off his feet at the tackle. With an easy bonus point on offer they went for the pragmatic option and Palmer landed another kick at goal, 78min 23-17. Stour pressed a final attack but couldn’t generate any go forward and with time up Ryan opted to boot the ball off the park. Full time 23-17.