MOSELEY captain Andy Reay has outlined the case for the defence and attributed the startling turnaround in his team’s fortunes to the work they have put in strengthening what had previously been an all too Thin Red Line.

The centre, who leads his side in a crucial relegation derby against Bees on Sunday, yesterday lauded the progress the Billesley Common outfit has made since they were lacerated by the same opponents less than three weeks ago.

That was on March 19 when Bees scored five tries and edged to a 38-34 victory that appeared to be a pivotal moment in both club’s seasons.

Bees were off the bottom of the table for the first time since the opening day and were replaced by a Moseley side coming off the back of two defeats and the concession of nine tries and 75 points in just two matches.

Since then Mose have done the double over and completely shut down an in-form Esher side with back to back wins that have taken them to the brink of Championship safety.

If they avoid defeat at Damson Park this weekend what has been yet another perilous flirtation with relegation will have ended in the happiest of separations.

And Reay says his team has put itself in that position because of the work they have invested into protecting their line.

“We have been working for a few weeks now just to try and improve it because we were leaking a few tries and I think that has shown in the last two,” the centre said.

“I think that has been winning us the games. We have always been confident we can create chances and score tries but we have just been leaking too many.

“We lost a bit of confidence in our defence a few weeks ago, people were coming up in ones and twos and that’s where sides are going to break you down.

“If we can keep that line together we can come up and knock them down behind the gain-line. It’s about belief and confidence in the system and that comes with wins.”

Which is exactly what they got when they scuttled Esher’s ship. A 41-17 success a fortnight ago was underlined by last week’s 27-22 win at the Pillar Data Arena.

“We came down on that Friday night against Esher and were pretty desperate, which showed in how intense and hungry we were to make the tackles,” Reay added.

“Then the next week we were not quite as intense but the belief was there that we could beat them and even until the last minute – when they were ahead – everyone still believed we were in control of the game and it felt like that on the pitch, that we could still get something out of it.”

Reay, who has just started consecutive games for the first time since early February, will partner either Bevon Armitage or Dai Bishop in midfield.