Ludlow won a narrow Midlands 3 West (North) clash at Stourbridge Lions – with skipper Jake Parkes insisting they made life harder for themselves than it should have been.

The south Shropshire side were 9-5 victors, Will Norton kicking three penalties, to notch up their seventh league win of the season.

But Parkes felt the score should have been more convincing against a side they had beaten with some ease when they first met at The Linney in the autumn.

“We made very, very hard work of it,” he said. “We couldn’t get going and I think the boys thought it would be a stroll in the park.

“They scored a crazy try where our 18-stone prop Matt Young was robbed by their fly-half, who couldn’t have weighed more than eight stone dripping wet, and he ran the full length of the pitch to score.

“It was a bit embarrassing and we’ve given Matt plenty of stick!

“Still, before Christmas this was the sort of game we would have lost but hopefully the ball is starting to bounce our way now.”

Bridgnorth failed to complete what would have been a notable league double as they went down 23-3 to high-flying Bournville.

The All Blacks are the only side to have beaten the Birmingham outfit this season, winning at home earlier in the campaign.

But they could not repeat the feat in the return fixture, going down in wet and sticky conditions.

It had all started well enough, Chris Ralph kicking the opening points after the home flanker had been caught offside.

Bournville replied though, their fly-half kicking three penalties to lead at the break.

In the second half they took a ball against the head close to the Bridgnorth’s five-metre line, and the visitors’ back row did not break off fast enough to prevent the impressive Bournville No 8 strolling over for this killer score.

After this try was converted, the home side scored another good goal in the dying seconds to put a decisive look to the final score.