Stourbridge bandwagon aims to roll on

Feb 22 2008

THE Stourbridge promotion bandwagon suffered a puncture at Blaydon last week, but they will be hoping to get back on track against Westcombe Park tomorrow.

Nearest rivals Manchester, who are in third spot, did the honourable thing by losing at leaders Otley, which leaves them 11 points adrift but with two games in hand.

February has been a tense month for Stour, with three-point margins in the previous two matches, a 29-26 win over Wharfedale and an 18-15 victory at Waterloo, but they were wins and Neil Mitchell's men are still in there.

Westcombe Park were promoted last season and Stour, in the first ever meeting of the two sides, edged the fixture at Orpington.

Combe are fifth in the table, 16 points off the pace but with a game in hand, and although it would be Boy's Own stuff for the Kent team to close the gap this season, they are ambitious and looking to build a platform for a promotion assault next term or the one after.

For Stour, the feeling at Stourton Park is that their moment has come so they will be hoping the puncture is repaired and the bandwagon will roll again.