Lack of creativity hurts DK

Mark Wilson's faltering Dudley Kingswinford side slipped to their third consecutive Midlands One defeat on Saturday in a dire game against the league high-flyers Broadstreet - despite leading at half-time.

Another decent forwards' performance will be scant consolation for the head coach seeing as the league table suggests - perhaps unjustly - its own sorry story.

Only new-boys Kenilworth lie below DK, on points difference, and with the Heathbrook men facing a tough away tie at league leaders Luctonians this weekend, it seems unlikely that their stay in the relegation mire will be eased.

But the tide will surely turn for Wilson's side, who have shown enough so far this season to suggest they can compete with the league's better teams.

DK led Broadstreet at half-time, lost by two points to Dunstablians in their season opener and played poorly against a Bedford Athletic side that Wilson says they should have beaten.

Injuries have not helped their cause and to make matters worse full back Ian Gowland, the side's captain and strike runner, is out for a month with a broken hand.

Scrum-half Gareth Davies, the team's outstanding performer thus far, has also been ruled out of the Luctonians game after picking up an injury and centre Ben Coles is another whose promising start in senior rugby has been temporarily blighted.

These new arrivals to the physio bench join longer term patients Ollie Shakespeare and Ben Connett.

Given this extensive list, it is perhaps no wonder that the criticised DK's backs unit has failed to show the continuity displayed by their scrummaging counterparts.

Wilson said: "In all the games we have played our set-piece has stood up well.

"We have not been dominated up front by anyone.

"We are just not creating enough in the backs - but rather than getting our key players back we have lost more to injury.

"It has been a tough start - but training has been brilliant again this week."

Wilson is likely to make changes in the backs but, depending on injuries, will keep the pack the same for their biggest challenge of the season.

Tom Bissell got the better of Street's Dan Richards in the opening exchanges on Saturday to put DK into a 9-6 lead at the break - but a totally different Broadstreet emerged for the second period.

The increased tempo told, and DK fell away badly in defence.

After the hosts took the lead, the unbeaten hosts never looked like relinquishing it.

To the visitors' credit they toiled hard and tried to get back into the game with a flurry of attacks.

But when John Fallon was yellow carded with ten minutes to go, former Coventry scrum-half Luke Talbot added the finishing touches.