BROMSGROVE RFC First XV continue to give themselves hope in their fight for Midlands One survival after making it four wins in five games with a 38-11 victory over Kenilworth last Saturday.

Fly half Matt Birch scored 23 points as the Finstall Park side, who still need to win their last two games to stand a chance of avoiding relegation, turned a three-point half time deficit into a thumping 27-point winning margin.

Birch gave Bromsgrove a three-point lead on ten minutes, cancelled out by a Cathcart penalty for Kenilworth.

It was not until the game was nearly 30 minutes old that the hosts notched up their first try when, after a brisk three-quarter move, Birch was on hand to get a touch down in the corner.

But Kenilworth were not finished. They drove Bromsgrove back into their 22-metre area to score a Cathcart penalty goal and then, following a fortunate bounce from an attempted drop goal, a try in the corner by winger Middleton.

Bromsgrove started the second half with purpose but Kenilworth were still causing problems in the scrum and at line-outs. It was ten minutes before the hosts levelled the score, courtesy of a big Birch penalty goal. A second, huge kick five minutes later from the same boot gave Bromsgrove the lead.

Tries by prop forward Mark Cornelius on one wing and Lee Wainwright on the other, followed in quick succession for a 24 -11 advantage.

Then followed one of the most remarkable tries seen at Finstall Park for many seasons. Starting from deep inside their own 22, Bromsgrove moved the ball down the left through many pairs of hands before passing it across the field for full back Dave Vellavice to score in the right corner. Birch converted.

Kenilworth were beaten but not before fly half Birch wrong footed their defence on the half way line and found a way through to touch down under the posts and duly converted for 38-11.

This was not a one man performance as stand-in captain Andy Bridge, leading by fine example, had a side around him firing on all cylinders.