DEFEAT to fellow strugglers Stourport at the weekend condemned Woodrush to their second successive relegation.

The Old Icknield Street side needed to win to have any chance of escaping the bottom three but went down 13-5 away from home and are set for North Midlands One rugby next season.

"We were all a bit downbeat on Saturday," said captain Paul Moore, "we know we are definitely relegated but I couldn't ask any more from the players in the Stourport game.

"Everyone is talking about going down and coming straight back up and if that happens it might be no bad thing.

"We have a few promising young lads coming through for next season, like Andy McGann from Moseley Colts and we have to be positive."

Paul Moore's men have been bottom of the league all season and looked dead and buried at Christmas after just one win from their opening ten Midlands West Four South fixtures but staged a remarkable recovery from mid-January and gave themselves a glimmer of hope of escaping the bottom three.

Results turned against Woodrush in recent weeks and left the club needing to win their last two games and hope neighbours Kings Norton failed to pick up points.

In the event, defeat to Stourport did not matter because lowly Kings won 18-15 at second from bottom Dunlop and Woodrush's fate was sealed.

Relegation is another blow for a team who were plying their trade in Midlands Three West North two seasons ago.

The slide started with an exodus of players which prompted the side to withdraw from league action just before last season and being automatically relegated to Division Four.

But a young side took too long to find their feet and Woodrush could start next season playing a level beneath Redditch and Kings Norton.

Saturday's bottom-of-the-table match at Dunlop (ko 3pm) has little meaning for either side, with Saturday's defeat sentencing Dunlop to the drop and Woodrush needing to win by a 21 point margin to even climb off the bottom.

Centre Paul Chance returned at the weekend after knee ligament damage but number eight Mark Duce (work) and flanker Ben Honey (cracked ribs) are out and tight head prop Andy Gibb is doubtful with a back problem.