DK 15, Bromsgrove 19

BROMSGROVE kept their promotion bandwagon rolling with victory over dogged Dudley Kingswinford at Heathbrook.

Two quick-fire tries for Josh Holt either side of half time set-up the success for the Boars while handing DK another big set-back to their hopes of reigniting their faltering campaign.

The hosts were quicker out of the traps early on and found themselves ahead after just nine minutes when the dangerous Charles Baffour powered over.

Sam Vaughan had dragged a fifth minute penalty attempt narrowly wide but DK kept the pressure on and got their reward soon after.

The ball was worked left to Baffour after a kick to the corner and line-out ball had the hosts well inside in the Bromsgrove 22. He made no mistake to edge his side ahead before Vaughan found his range to add the extras.

However, handling errors and lost lineouts soon scuppered DK’s momentum as the Boars began to dominate possession.

The strong carrying of Tom Millen soon got his side back on the front foot and camped in front of the home try-line.

The visitors kept the heat on for long spells but couldn’t find a way past a resolute DK rearguard.

It took them until just after the half hour mark to finally make the pressure pay when loose head Ethan Priest was able to find a gap. Adam Whiteman stepped up to add the extras to level the game.

Determined DK answered with a Vaughan penalty four minutes before the break to make it 10-7.

However, when Whiteman passed up the chance of an easy three points for Bromsgrove on the stroke of half time, the visitors needed to make it pay.

They did just that with the last action of the half when more pick and drive pressure from their forwards left Holt free on the left to put his side ahead for the first time. Again Whiteman’s kicking was accurate as the league leaders led 14-10 at the break.

DK’s stubborn resistance from the first half was left in tatters after just 48 seconds of the second period.

Holt beat two tacklers out on the left flank to quickly extend his side’s lead. Whiteman missed the tough conversion as the Boars settled for their 19-10 lead.

The home side needed a reaction but just couldn’t gather momentum as their visitors continued to make territorial gains with the ball in hand. They also comfortably saw out Drew Harper’s time in the sin bin for a no-arms tackle approaching the hour mark.

DK still carried a threat when they did manage to get into the Boars’ 22 and they showed that again as Matt Squires’ try in the final five minutes looked to have set-up a grandstand finish.

The score came after a fine break from Matt Perks had finally got Bromsgrove turned around. The extras were missed but DK were within four with time still on the clock.

But, like much of the contest, Bromsgrove were soon back methodically dominating possession and it was the visitors who were looking for the final bonus point score late on.

Only more last-ditch defending kept Josh Tomlinson out as the flanker was held up on the tryline as his side were denied the extras.

But the win is enough to keep the Boars leading the way in Midlands One West with another big hurdle behind them.

DK, meanwhile, drop 17 points adrift of second-placed Newbold as their winless league run extends to five games.

DK: Williams, Fildes, Thompson, Perks, Marsh, Brown, Squires, Griffiths, Jones, Brookes, Walker, Vaughan, Shillingford, Baffour, Brown. Replacements: Pritchard, Nicholls, Dunn.

Bromsgrove: Priest, Gunther, Green, Martin, Arnold, Tomlinson, Lockhart, Harper, Whiteman, Upton, Holt, Millen, Douglas, Bostock, Attwood. Replacements: Atkin, Morgan, Short.