Woodrush 13 Reditch 10

North Midlands One

FULL-BACK Martin Leech stole the show to give Woodrush their first win of the season against an unbeaten Redditch side in a fierce derby at Icknield Street.

Redditch had just lost influential captain, Stan Hull, through a back injury on 20 minutes when Leech capitalised. He picked up the ball inside his own half and ran through most of the Redditch pack before scoring a sparkling individual try.

And the Woodrush wizard kept his nerve to convert his effort to make the score 7-3.

Redditch, unbeaten before the Saturday derby, had started brightly and took the lead after just five minutes with Davies converting a penalty from an acute angle.

But Woodrush came back and went in at half time comfortable leaders.

And it was Leech again after the break who extended Woodrush's lead to 13-3 after two well taken penalties before the hour mark.

Soon after Redditch were forced to make another change when prop Payne was taken off with a leg injury.

But the Redditch pack reshuffled with Morris in at scrum half and almost instantly Redditch scored their first try of the game through Goddard.

In another individual try Goddard snatched the ball 40 metres out and ran in to score and his effort was duly converted cutting Woodrush's lead to 13-10.

From there the game could have gone either way but Woodrush just held on after excellent performances by debutante hooker Paul Ashworth and flanker Matt Playford.

And the Icknield Street men will be looking for more of the same on Saturday, October 11, when they travel to Veseyans.

But Redditch will be hoping for a much-improved performance as they play Cleobury Mortimer on Saturday.