With the sole exception of victory over an already-relegated Westoe back in April 2013 Stour are yet to record a league victory in the North East, and Saturday’s outcome was to prove no different.

Conditions were perfect for running rugby with the air still and a state-of-the art playing surface. Stour were missing Joes Heatley (injury) and Carpenter (whose wife delivered a baby in the week, congratulations and best wishes to all) and welcomed debutant Worcester academy 2nd row Ben Davis-Moore. The hosts’ uncomfortable proximity to the relegation zone proved ample motivation for them to throw the ball around at pace and negate Stour’s early forward domination, Heatley’s absence proving key with the Stour backline often too lateral in attack and bottled up by a well-organised home defence. Stour are now left with little to play for beyond pride in their remaining 5 fixtures unless Sedgley Park suffer an unlikely catastrophic loss of form.

The early exchanges were played at high-tempo and saw Stour penalised several times in the tackle area as they took their time to adjust to the demands of both the surface and referee John Meredith, outside half Rob Parker slotting a 4th minute penalty for a tackle off the ball. Tynedale ran it back from the restart but no.8 Connor Nicholls stripped the ball to launch a blistering set of Stour attacks where the ball was taken at pace, recycled quickly and the defences stretched first one way then the other. Winger Josh Trinham was held up just short but the ball was worked to centre Ash Elvers whose neat footwork enabled him to get close enough to reach out and ground the ball on the tryline. Tom Mitchell’s conversion attempt drifted wide. 8min 3-5.

Stour were awarded a penalty at the first scrum, kicked for territory and drove a maul deep into the 22 before launching another promising attack. They failed to get numbers to a breakdown though and were penalised for side entry. Their next attack fared no better as they went off their feet, Tynedale then pressing an attack down the left flank and with Mr Meredith playing an advantage for offside a speculative chip ahead bounced nicely for chasing fullback Dan Marshall who scored in the corner. 16min 8-5.

Tynedale ratcheted up the pace from the restart, countering strongly to turn over possession. Parker shrugged off a tackle to blast through Stour’s defensive line and wrongfooted the cover to score and convert. 20min 15-5.

Stour pressed their next set of attacks, an Elvers half-break taking them deep into the hosts’ 22 but they conceded a penalty for dangerous play and then another for offside in defence that was converted by Parker. 27min 18-5.

A break by centre James Otutaha set up an attack that saw Tynedale replacement hooker Jamie Blamire sinbinned for a side entry just short of the line. Stour went again from a lineout and forced over a maul with flanker Nigel Mukarati touching down. 34 min 18-10. Tynedale then wound the clock down on both half and sinbin by kicking deep and chasing effectively to stifle any Stour counter. Halftime 18-10.

A tackle offence gave Parker an early 2nd half shot at goal that fell short, the clearance kick crucially missed touch though and the hosts came back again, another break by Parker rewarded when hooker Louis Frankland barged over. 45min 25-10.

Stour rallied, seeing Tynedale’s no.8 Scott Powell sinbinned for taking out Nicholls before Trinham’s offload could put him clear. They went to the corner and drove a maul, a further side entry offence seeing lock Graeme Dunn also cooling his heels for 10min. The depleted home pack couldn’t hold out another driving maul, replacement Billy Harding getting the touchdown and Mitchell converting. 52min 25-17.

The game was up when Stour proved unable to further exploit their numerical advantage, indeed they shipped another Parker penalty goal through poor discipline at the scrum engage. 58min 28-17.

A charged down clearance kick saw a promising wave of Stour attacks but the ball was spilt in the shadow of the posts, the hosts cleared and the opportunity passed. The game drew to a close with Tynedale’s pack gaining the upper hand in the tight and starving Stour of possession, there were further tries for the hosts through centre Jack Harrison after a Parker penalty shot rebounded off the uprights and another near the end for Blamire. Fulltime 38-17.

Stour’s next fixture is against Chester at Stourton Park on Apr 2nd, ko 3pm. Easter Saturday sees Stourbridge Lions contest the Midlands Final of the RFU Intermediate Cup at local rivals Wolverhampton RFC.