Walsall 32 Bromsgrove 20
INJURY hit Bromsgrove were shot down by two second half tries as Walsall battled back into the game on Saturday.
Bromsgrove were leading early in the second half 20-18, but the loss of Andy Bridge and influential kick Matt Birch turned the game on its head and allowed Walsall to muscle their way into the match.
The Boars were rocked in the opening moments of the game when former captain Andy Bridge was forced off with an injury.
Bromsgrove were forced to reorganise, but still took the game to their Black Country opponents.
The home side edged ahead when Walsall's Georgian international Bidzina Samkharadze scored a penalty.
Bromsgrove rallied by pinning Walsall back in their own half and their pressure paid off when Birch scored a penalty.
The away side were in control and James Lloyd-Jones charged down the ball and powered over the try-line for a touch down, which Birch converted.
Samkharadze kept Bromsgrove in check with a second penalty for Walsall, but Richard Trigg extended his side's lead.
Trigg took a long pass and broke through Walsall's back line to touch down and hand his side a 15-6 lead.
But Bromsgrove were stunned just before half time as Walsall grabbed two tries.
Full back Marsh burst through for an unconverted try, before Fowkes scored an effort which Barneix converted to leave Bromsgrove trailing 18-15.
The Boars though wasted little time in the second half restoring their lead, when Trigg exposed a gap in Walsall's defence to make it 20-18.
However, their opponents responded by piling the pressure on Bromsgrove and pushed them back.
Richard Stockholm had a try disallowed after the touch judge had saw a Bromsgroves player's foot cross the line.
Birch was then taken off with injury and Bromsgrove could not keep out Walsall, who grabbed two late converted tries.
Bromsgrove will be hoping to bounce back on Saturday when they play relegation battling Whitchurch at Finstall Park (2.15pm start).
