Not since Feb 2011 had a Stour side been ‘nilled’ in a league game, by cruel irony Stour hooker Same Wilkes had played for Cinderford in that 0-11 defeat, he was due to travel on Saturday but had to turn around when he got the call as his wife went into labour. The reversal eclipsed Stour’s last league defeat at Threshfield, a 40-5 pasting in March 2012 when their only score was a try for prop Adam Sturdy. Such was the Stour injury crisis on Saturday that Sturdy was pressganged into a short cameo performance off the bench.

Playing with the slope but against the icy wind in the 1st half Stour held out for 20min until skipper Ciaran Moore was sinbinned for a deliberate knock-on. In his absence the hosts turned the screw with a try for no.8 Josh Burridge from the base of a short-range scrum. By halftime Stour had leaked another try to fullback Harry Bullough when their left side got carved open.

The writing was on the wall as Stour faced a gruelling 40min up the slope with only 3 bench subs to share the load. Just 2min in Burridge scored a second try as Stour’s left flank vulnerability was exploited again. Stour rallied and managed to drive play to the Wharfedale 22 but then lost prop Stef Thorp to the sinbin and were exposed by a chip over the top that found winger Scott Jordan who raced clear to score. It went from bad to worse when Stour’s restart kick failed to go 10m after a further try for winger Rob Davidson, the visitors’ scrum got shunted backwards and flowing move saw a try in the corner for lock Rich Rhodes.

This Sat Stour host old rivals Sedgley Park, ko 3pm.

Photo shamelessly lifted from Wharfedale's website - thank you.