To Stour's credit they remained calm, finished the stronger and eventually started to string the phases together, their efforts were rewarded when the pressure this created forced their opponents to cough up the kickable penalties that secured the result.

The game started at high tempo, both sides showing plenty of endeavour but getting little change from 2 well-organised defences. A South Leicester attack reached the Stour 22 where a dangerous tackle drew a lecture from referee Mike Harris and 3 points for the visitors’ outside-half Rickie Aley. 5min 0-3.

Stour were unable to generate any momentum as South Leicester spread their defences wide, a late tackle gifting good field position to their opponents whose a maul then got held up. With few options available Aley knocked over a drop goal, the first seen at Stourton Park since Bees’ Lee Chapman hit one back in April 2013. 11min 0-6.

The visitors started to ship penalties at the tackle area, drawing a warning from Mr Harris, but Stour’s lineout and interplay were misfiring in the gusting breeze, gifting the visitors a regular supply of turnover ball. They too struggled with some indifferent kicking from hand, so the game meandered along an error-strewn stalemate. Aley’s chip over the advancing Stour defensive line created a promising break when he regathered, but the danger was snuffed out by a winger Ash Elvers’ tackle. Twice hooker Billy Harding fashioned breaks from deep but the ball was spilled. A late James Rodley break into South Leicester’s 22 was worked to Josh Trinham but the cover got to him just short of the line, albeit at the expense of a penalty. Stour kicked to the corner but their drive was held up in goal and another handling error ended the attack, Stour going into the break with a lot of work to do playing into the breeze.

After a shaky restart Stour managed to work their way downfield, a Chris Depper steal at the lineout setting up an attack that drew a penalty in front of the posts that Scott knocked over. 61min 3-6.

The visitors attacked from the restart and were only denied by another solid Elvers’ tackle in the corner. Both sides continued to gift away possession through handling errors, though Stour fortunate indeed that a couple of Aley’s chips just failed to go to hand with their defences flat. But Stour started to get it together, a break by Josh Trinham setting up an attack that was again rewarded with a Scott penalty as a defender strayed offside. 63min 6-6.

Stour ran the restart from deep, working the phases and reaching deep into South Leicester’s 22 before a stray hand in the ruck saw Mr Harris’s patience exhausted and winger Blane Howe despatched to the sin bin. Twice Stour went to the corner but were unable to drive over the line, a stray pass finally hacked downfield by the visitors. Back they came though, the visitors shipping another penalty that Scott did well to convert into the wind to finally get Stour’s noses ahead. 76min 9-6.

Replacement Sam Wilkes secured a turnover and Stour ground downfield again, running the clock down and securing a further 3 points for Scott as the visitors again drifted offside. Fulltime 12-6.

Stour’s next fixture is at Stourton Park on Mar 5th when they take on Sedgley Park, ko 3pm. Next Sat Feb 27th Stourbridge Lions host Kidderminster in the Midlands semi-final of the RFU Intermediate cup, ko 2pm.