It is to their credit that they largely achieved this – bar one aberration the produced an opportunist breakaway try – but the hosts' domination of both territory and possession eventually told on the scoreboard. Stour secured a losing bonus point but drop to 6th.

The only change to Stour’s starting lineup saw Josh Trinham starting on the right wing with Joe Bridger dropping to the bench. The morning rain had cleared leaving occasional flashes of winter sun above the North Wales coastline across the Dee Estuary.

The opening aerial exchanges produced a long range penalty that Luke White uncharacteristically pushed wide. Resolute, well-organised defences and the occasional handling error made for a stop-start game with both sides’ early attacks proving fruitless. The home pack managed to get a maul moving forward in Stour’s 22, the visitors were penalised for pulling it down and – as they were to do throughout the game – Caldy opted to kick to the corner. They were penalised for an obstruction on this occasion but Stour found themselves constantly pinned back in their own half as the hosts countered their wayward clearance kicks. Stour finally broke out and a penalty for a tackle infringement produced the opening score, White landing a goalkick from Caldy’s 22. 20min 0-3.

Back came Caldy, again keeping play in the Stour half but finding their driving maul held up by the defenders when they kicked another penalty to the corner. With Stour still unable to break out of their half the stalemate continued until the halftime whistle.

A loose pass was hacked through by fullback Rod Petty to set up Stour’s first foray into the Caldy 22. After a false start they secured lineout ball but a wayward pass was compounded by an attempted offload that went loose yards behind the support. Caldy seized possession and countered, centre Forbes Edwards managing to run outside the cover before chipping through, replacement Ben Jones scoring a soft breakaway try. 47min 5-3.

Handling errors continued to plague Stour’s attacks, Caldy countering deep into the Stour 22 before centre James Otutaha managed to intercept an offload and the unlikely figure of flanker Nigel Mukarati cleared. The Stour pack again held out but a penalty offence gave Jones an easy 3 points. 55min 8-3. His long range attempt from a scrum penalty shortly after rebounded off an upright, Stour scrambling it clear but again under pressure in their own 22. Caldy’s next attack produced another penalty, a warning to Stour skipper Ciaran Moore from referee Neil Chivers and an easy 3 points for Jones. 63min 11-3.

Stour finally managed to hold on to the ball long enough to exercise some pressure on the Caldy line, winger Ash Elvers tackled just short before replacement Chris Scott slotted a penalty for offside. 68min 11-6.

Stour pressed again but another loose pass produced a length of the pitch kick-chase by Edwards that was only defused by the covering run of centre Joe Heatley. Petty made the most of an innocuous challenge off the ball, it was hoofed to the corner but Stour’s catch & drive stalled. Both sides looked to run the ball as the clock wound down but the game got bogged down in midfield until replacement Stef Thorp was sin binned for obstructing a kick chase. Caldy again went to the corner but the depleted Stour pack held them out and secured a turnover. Stour launched a suicidal last-ditch attempt to run from their 22 and looked to have burnt their bonus point when penalised for holding on, giving Jones another simple knock-over. 78min 14-6. But Caldy returned the compliment playing keep-ball to wind the clock down in their own half, a penalty at the death for holding on slotted from 35m out by Scott to regain the consolation bonus point. Full time 14-9.

This Saturday Stour host Preston Grasshoppers, 3pm ko. Also at home are Stourbridge Lions looking to consolidate their lead in Midlands 2 West (North), they host Veseyans, ko 2.15pm.