Bromsgrove Rugby Club First XV (16) 34

Burton Rugby Club First XV (7) 12

Midlands West Two

BROMSGROVE got their league programme off to a flying start at Finstall Park on Saturday with a comfortable 22-point margin over newly-relegated Burton.

But the manner of the victory was not as easy as the scoreline suggests.

Bromsgrove's three tries to Burton's two accurately reflects the balance of play.

Once again it was the boot of fly half Matt Birch, with seven successes out of eight attempts -- five penalties and two conversions -- that gave Bromsgrove a flattering margin.

Not until the last quarter of the game did the town pack get on terms with their opposite numbers who, until then, had given the home side a torrid time at both scrum and line out.

Possession, mainly from rucks and mauls in broken play, where Bromsgrove had an edge in both technique and pace, was limited.

Although Bromsgrove reached half time with a 16-7 lead, the first half had been dominated by the visitors and only by good use of a strong following wind, exploited with some mighty clearing kicks, was the home side able to gain relief from severe Burton pressure.

Referee Mr M Elliott, of the Leicester Society, had a challenging afternoon and twice felt the need to speak to the two captains as he strove to contain the fiery forward battle.

Inevitably the yellow card was produced and the two hookers were sin-binned but it could easily have been any tow of half a dozen other muscular miscreants.

Bromsgrove took the lead after just three minutes with a Birch penalty goal and added to it seven minutes later when, awarded a penalty under the posts, they caught the visitors napping with a quickly taken tap penalty resulting in prop Steve Phillips charging over.

Burton continued to pile on the pressure and when, after a lengthy siege of the Bromsgrove line, the talented Burton fly half Porter zipped through for a converted try, the anxiety level among the Bromsgrove supporters rocketed.

The feeling was that the tide was running strongly against them. But two more Birch penalty goals, one from inside his own half, gave Bromsgrove a cushion to face a second half without wind assistance.

Strong half time words from coach David Stout saw town spark into life. Mighty Burton lock and captain, Thurman, found the line-out going less his way, and scrum ball to Bromsgrove scrum half Morley became easier to salvage.

Perhaps it was match fitness that finally told, but the balance began to tilt and finally swing strongly in Bromsgrove's favour. Two tries, one by prop Dean Ball and the other by winger Lee Wainwright, one converted, and two more Birch penalties completed Broms-grove's scoring. Burton's prop Burrows scored a late consolation try but it was too little, too late.

l Bromsgrove entertain National League Three (North) side Darlington this Saturday, who sent out a strong warning signal with a 41-0 league victory against Sandal on Saturday. Kick-off at Finstall Park is 3pm.