Bromsgrove 18 Whitchurch 22

North Midlands Cup

BELEAGUERED Bromsgrove could not turn to a cup run to ease their league woes as they lost a hard fought North Midlands Cup quarter final at Finstall Park on Saturday.UNSTOPPABLE FORCE: A Bromsgrove player smashes his way through.

Bromsgrove, bottom of the Midlands Division One, produced their strongest performance for some time but were edged out by a last gasp try.

The Boars went into the match eager to turn a run of 13 league defeats around. They certainly would have been in confident mood against a Whitchurch side bottom of the Powergen North Division One.

Bromsgrove faced up against the only team they have beaten in a competitive game all season. In September the Boars trounced Whitchurch 51-3 in the Powergen Cup.

However, this was a much-changed team from the side that handed out that heavy defeat.

Bromsgrove found themselves on the back foot, when Whitchurch drove through the home side's defence from a line out to make it 5-0.

The hosts worked hard to hit back, but their progress was stalled by several missed penalties, before Kent Summerfield's accurate kick made it 5-3.

However, the visitors were not about to be denied and Chris Hales found a gap in Bromsgrove's defence to score a try and double their lead.

But the Boars responded emphatically when winger John Mounter finished a flowing move to make it 10-8.

Bromgrove then found themselves trailing 15-8, after Whitchurch pegged them back in front of their try-line and forced their way through for a converted try. Despite the set back the home side came out determined in the second half and Ben Copson led an attack to set up Rob Crawford's touch down. Copson also converted to level the scores.

New Zealander Summerfield edged Bromsgrove ahead for the first time in the match when he scored a penalty.

But Bromsgrove's defensive frailty was exposed when Whitchurch won a line out and drove a maul over to score a last minute winner.