CLEOBURY Mortimer will play their rugby in Midlands 4 West North next season after continuing their fine form to win a play-off game at Coventry Welsh 23-10.

Having finished runners-up in North Mids South One, the Mortimer men had to take on the second-placed team in Warwickshire Division One to decide their fate.

With Coventry having scored more points during the league season, they had home advantage for the showdown - but that did not concern Cleobury.

Backed by a coachload of supporters, Cleobury made light work of an uphill slope and an innovative opposition scrum half to take an early lead.

The breakthrough arrived when a tactical masterstroke on 12 minutes put Steve Morris into the corner for an easy touch down. That stung the hosts into action and just five minutes later they hit back with a converted try to go into the interval with a 7-5 lead.

Having survived an onslaught in the closing stages of the first half, Cleobury used the slope to their advantage soon after the break. They regained the lead when a five-metre scrum resulted in a push over try that Paul Hulland dotted down.

Cleobury were now on top with two penalties from Julian Harding and one for the hosts taking their advanatage to 16-10. After weathering another brief backlash from Coventry, Cleobury bought themselves some vital breathing space by extending their lead to 23-10. From a Coventry scrum in Cleobury territory, Hulland twice hacked the ball on and outpaced his opponents for his 30th try of the season with Harding adding the extras.