SEDGLEY PARK...10 NUNEATON...3: SEDGLEY'S promotion hopes were under severe threat from Nuneaton, but in turning the recent form-book upside down, Park re-discovered the zest and commitment that had taken them to the top of the table before Christmas.

All the points were scored in the first half, but it was a wonderful into-the-gale second-half display by the Sedgley pack which won the day.

The wind was so strong and swirling that handling and line-out throwing varied from the difficult to the impossible.

In similar conditions at Nottingham, Sedgley had appeared to have no game-plan, no appreciation of the tactics required.

But now they played the possession game to perfection, with Tim Fourie in control round the fringes, bringing big runners Richard Senior, Paul Arnold, Erik Lund and Ian Voortman into the game.

Snapping at their heels was little Dave McCormack, enjoying his best game of the season, a constant thorn in Nuneaton's side.

All this would have been impossible without a solid scrummage. Sedgley had one, Nuneaton did not.

Sedgley also achieved some success at the line-out, thanks to Richard Oxley's throwing, while the visitors struggled in a game of many line-outs.

Consequently, with nearly all the ball, Sedgley held Nuneaton in a vice throughout the second half, and only an unlikely breakaway could have denied them the points.

The first half had gone less well for the home side.

With half-time approaching, the only score was a penalty by Nuneaton full-back Jody Peacock, but Senior's powerful run from the base of an attacking scrum brought a try for the deserving Fourie.

Ryno Ueckermann judged the cross-wind to perfection to add the conversion and, with the last kick of the half, drilled over a 22-metre penalty from in front of the posts.

Seven points seemed a flimsy lead, even though the wind was diagonal rather than directly into the players' faces.

As it transpired, it was more than enough and, after a week off, Sedgley travel to Harrogate on April 3 with a one point lead over second-placed Nottingham, and four points ahead of Nuneaton.

SEDGLEY: De Jager, Bullough, Hassan, Voortman, Glynn, Ueckermann, McCormack, Roberts, Oxley, Thomas, Arnold, Lund, Senior, Yates, Fourie. Subs: Keys, Collie, Wilkinson, Lloyd.