BOTTOM club Cleobury Mortimer slipped further into Midlands Four West (North) relegation peril with a narrow 17-15 defeat at Handsworth.

Cleobury hoped to avenge a 7-17 defeat earlier in the season but the home side settled much quicker.

Handsworth were 17-3 ahead by half-time through three first-half tries and a single conversion with Colin Smith kicking the visitors' points.

Cleobury exerted considerable pressure in the second period with the defence tightening up and attack looking far more threatening.

Hooker Matthew Barnsley helped himself to his first score of the season, followed by second-row Adrian Robinson, just back after honeymoon.

With Smith converting just one of the two tries, there was a narrow two-point deficit to make up.

Much of the last portion of the game took place inside the home team 22-metre area but the only real scoring chance came from a difficult Smith penalty chance which went agonisingly wide.