CLEOBURY Mortimer have put the champagne on ice after clinching promotion from North Midlands South One because they still stand a chance of taking the title.

A 27-5 home victory over Upton-on-Severn on Saturday was enough to secure their elevation to the next level and complete a wonderful season.

But the Mortimer men will delay their celebrations until after their final match of the season at Redditch which could see them clinch the championship.

All that stands in the way of them finishing top is rivals Stourport Lions who are just a point behind with superior match points difference and still have two games to play, at home to Handsworth and away at Birmingham Exiles.

Upton, who defeated Cleobury 20-5 in the reverse fixture, scared them again by arriving in confident mood and opening the scoring with an early try.

This sparked Cleobury into life and fly half Julian Harding soon reduced the defecit to 5-3 by popping over a penalty.

And with the home side dominating possession and territory for the rest of the first half, they ran in three tries to open up an interval lead of 20-5.

Colin Todd managed to stretch out a long arm to touch down the first with Harding adding the extras before wingwer Allan Shields bagged a brace in the right hand corner after good work by Willie Bache and John Hulland.

Upton came out fighting after the break but Clebury were determined to keep a second half clean sheet which they duly did through tigerish defending.

Gradually the home team reasserted their control and from another scrum pushed their opponents back over the line for Paul Hulland's 25th try of the season.

Harding's conversion put the seal on a magnificent display and a well-deserved victory.

The news got even better later in the evening when it was discovered that rivals Redditch lost 34-6 to Stourbridge Lions and Upton-on-Severn had beaten the other promotion-chasers Kings Norton.

That was enough to confirmed Cleobury and Stourbridge as the promoted two teams and the only outstanding issue is who will finish as champions.

There was less joy for the seconds who tumbled out of the second team cup after a comprehensive 44-0 defeat at Bridgnorth.Cleobury used the match as an exercise for giving a few fringe players a run out, but highlighted the reserves' need for front row players.