WORCESTER Wanderers returned to winning ways with a 29-7 victory over the league's front-runners, Old Halesonians.

Wanderers were still smarting from last week's drubbing against Stourbridge Lions but started strongly. They put the first try on the board when stand-off Gareth Hughes supplied a slick pass to outside centre James Brinkley, which sucked in the Old Hales defence, leaving Brinkley clear to cross the line in the right corner virtually unopposed.

Scrum-half Tim Fincher scored the second try after some good forward work got him close enough to the try-line to snipe and drive himself over.

Hughes converted the try and then added a penalty moments later. Hughes then showed his class as a play-maker, setting up the next try with a clever angled run to pop the ball up to full-back Dan Sparrey, who cut a good line at pace.

Sparrey was unstoppable and his score under the posts was converted by Hughes to make the score 22-0.

The final Wanderers score came from winger Joph Young, who showed individual magic with a cheeky dummy to the Old Hals defenders in their '22' and he galloped over for a converted try.

Backs coach Niall Crawford said: "This week's win had a much better feel about it because the players involved started to play together in a way that the Wanderers coaching team knew they could.

"Momentum is now the key, especially with this weekend's cup game away at Dixonians.

"Following this week's focus by the players, the coaches will be eager to keep the team moving forward and gelling."

He added: "It is, after all, still a relatively new team with a number of younger players in it."