CLEOBURY Mortimer warmed up for their Powergen Junior Vase semi-final showdown with a timely return to winning ways in Midlands Division Four West South.

The Love Lane men, who travel to London Exiles in the cup on Saturday, were rocked when their long unbeaten run was ended by Berkswell and Balsall the previous weekend.

But normal service was resumed last Saturday with a 12-11 win over second-placed Old Edwardians which takes them to third in the table.

Cleobury resisted the temptation to rest players ahead of the big cup match, considering it unfair to the division's other promotion-chasers.

The only absentee was prop Hylton Smith, who was away on a family holiday, so ready-made replacement Steve Phillips stepped in after overcoming a knee injury.

Having racked up an early 12-0 lead the Mortimer men were left holding on after taking their foot of the pedal.

Hooker Matthew Barnsley and outside centre John Hulland crashed over with Allan Shields kicking one of the conversions.

Old Eds capitalised upon a lapse to pull a try back before the break and after benefiting from some strnage refereeing decisions moved to within a point of Cleobury with two successful penalties.

Fortunately the Mortimer men's famed spirit shone through and they held out for a narrow win which sees them enter Saturday's semi-final in confident mood.

The seconds were without a game so several Cleobury players turned out for Clee Hill's reserves in their 29-5 defeat to Bromyard seconds, inlcuding scorer Reuben Weavers.