DK keep up the pressure with fifth in a row
Director of rugby Neil Shillingford believes it is all still to play for in the Midlands One West promotion race after Dudley Kingswinford reeled off their fifth straight bonus-point win.
Saturday’s thumping 60-21 victory over Malvern, coupled with Newbold’s defeat in their top-of-the-table clash with Bromsgrove, saw DK move back within six points of the second-placed Warwickshire club.
The Heathbrook outfit are aiming to pull off a near Houdini act after a mid-season slump appeared to have ruined their chances. But with Newbold still to visit next month, Shillingford is starting to believe.
He said: “There’s a lot of rugby still to be played and you would say the pressure is on them. All we can do is concentrate on ourselves and keep going for these bonus-point wins. We are pretty happy with the way we are performing at the moment.”
Charlie Baffour scored three of DK’s 10 tries as they put the division’s bottom club to the sword.
Josh Brown and Nick Adams also crossed during the first half as the home side secured the bonus point before the break. Malvern showed some fight with three tries of their own, but DK scored consistently, with Pete Griffiths, Jon McCormack, Sam Vaughan, Tom Walker and Mitch Grealey all getting on the scoresheet.
Elsewhere in Midlands One West, Old Halesonians slipped to a 34-17 defeat at Whitchurch. They are sixth in the table. Stourbridge Lions – who are 10th – were beaten 24-16 at Worcester on Friday.
In the Midlands Premier, Lichfield’s 31-15 reverse at Bridgnorth leaves them 11th in the table.
