ALCESTER RFC kept their title hopes alive with a bonus point 53-14 win against Rugby St Andrews as the home side ran in nine tries in a dominant performance.
Jamie Harland and Lewis Wright both crossed twice as Matt Johnson, Ant Cauvin, Mark Burrell, Ollie Hopkins and Iuean Hopkin all dotted down for Alcester at Kings Coughton.
The result means Alcester trail Counties 2 Midlands West (South) leaders Manor Park by two points with four matches left to play.
Despite the final scoreline, the first half proved to be an uneventful affair as Alcester’s Johnson scored the only try converted by Ed Gough.
And the visitors levelled the game with a converted try of their own early in the second half before Alcester restored their lead courtesy of Harland’s first try as he crashed through two tackles to score.
The home side came within inches of extending their advantage as Josh O’Connor was adjudged to have dotted down just over the dead ball line as he chased a kick ahead.
However, from the resulting 22-metre dropout, Johnson charged the clearance down and Cauvin forced his way over to score Alcester’s third try.
Alcester put their foot on the gas thereafter and scored another try from the restart as Burrell gathered a loose ball and outpaced several defenders to cross from distance with Ed Gough adding the extras.
And the home side scored again from the restart when the ball was popped to flanker Wright who powered his way to the line from inside his own half.
Alcester centre Harland then crossed for his second try of the game from substitute wing Hopkins’s pass with Gough converting.
And Wright scored a carbon copy of his first try before Hopkins dotted down a deserved try, having run from his own half, with Gough converting the latter try.
The visitors hit back in a rare foray upfield before Hopkin completed the scoring for Alcester with their ninth try of the match.
Alcester are next in action at home to Bromyard on Saturday, February 25 with kick-off at 2.15pm at Kings Coughton.
