Rugby round-up: Lichfield fightback falls just short in semi-final

Their opponents were a top four side in the division above at the point of kick-off and showed their dominance in an incredible first-half showing.

After a ‘tap and go’ penalty, Ditch Burton charged into the opponents’ 22 for Lich, before Ollie Green ran over from full-back and got the underdogs started, however he shortly went off injured.

Repeating the passage of play, Paul Maxwell-Keys also touched down and Kai Lucas-Dumolo added a conversion to make 22-12.

After intense defending from both sides, Henry Nevitt scored the final try of the game after another penalty, and Lucas-Dumolo converted. Despite their second-half dominance, however, they could not get the points before the referee blew.

Lichfield need at least a draw at home to struggling Old Saltleians to confirm their Regional Two Midlands North title, while Walsall will be fighting for fourth place against West Bridgford.

Walsall are five points behind their fourth-placed opponents, with a huge 104-point-difference advantage should they win and go level.

After confirming promotion with the Counties Two Midlands West (West) title, Stourbridge Lions will have to bounce back from their loss to strugglers Oswestry to fend off in-form Walsall Seconds.

Tries from Rowan Dickinson and Dan Wood shortly after the break and George Walker’s addition late on were not enough for the Lions, who struggled against a motivated and relegation-threatened opposition.

Walsall Seconds have won their last two games and are now ninth in the division, level on points with Harborne and three ahead of Oswestry.

Lichfield Seconds lost 47-10 to the already-confirmed Counties Three Midlands West (East) champions Syston Seconds.

David Mott, Owen Boxall and Matt Key touched down, however were outmatched by their opponents who added to an unbeaten tally while crossing the 1,000-point-mark.

Warley slipped out of reach of the Counties Four Midlands West (North) top two after losing 48-15 to Newport Thirds, who secured the title with their home win.

Despite Essington’s last win coming away at Newcastle Thirds in October, they fell short at home as they lost 22-15 to the Staffordshire side.

Jack Howard bagged a brace of tries and Gregory Osborn added a third for Essington, however, they were narrowly outmatched on the day and go into their final game on minus-four points.

Stourbridge go into the final game of the season already confirmed as second in Regional One Midlands, where they travel to eighth-placed Long Eaton.

Should Stour win, ninth-placed Dudley Kingswinford are only two points behind, however, they take on fifth-placed Bridgnorth.

Old Halesonians are away at Cheltenham, as sixth host seventh in Regional Two Midlands West.

Halesonians are six points behind the home side going into the fixture, however, will need to win to stay competitive. Stratford Upon Avon are only a point behind them.

Much of Counties One Midlands West (North) is already decided ahead of the weekend, as Burntwood are second, Stafford are second bottom and Wolverhampton at the foot the table by a 12-point gap.

Kidderminster travel to Burntwood hoping to win, as they are fighting for sixth place, level on points with Newport Seconds and four points behind Telford Hornets.

Willenhall will hope to escape the bottom three as they travel to third-placed Newcastle. They currently sit two points behind Shrewsbury and five behind Kidderminster and Newport Seconds, with a competitive point difference.