Given the Black Countrymen’s league position and the fact that they had conceded an average of 50 points in their previous 23 games (70 of which were scored when the two sides met at Portway in November), anything less than a bonus point win would have been considered an unsatisfactory outcome for the visitors.

The reality was that Birmingham & Solihull were, at times, made to work for their victory in what was a rather scrappy game lacking in quality. Still Eugene Martin and the rest of the Bees’ coaching side would have been pleased with another solid defensive performance that prevented DK from getting on the scoreboard, even when they were down to 13 men.

However it was Dudley Kingswinford who were first to get on the wrong side of referee when open side flanker Matt Squires was shown a yellow card for killing the ball. This gave an early indication on how Mr Steele-Bodger wished to officiate the game on what was a sunny, but still chilly early spring afternoon.

Fly-half Adam Canning opened the scoring with 6 minutes on the clock, after some good work at the breakdown by Bees’ flanker Ashley Scriven. Canning sliced through the DK defence with a trademark “show and go” and then converted his try to make it 0-7.

Three minutes later Chris Fensome spurned a possible scoring chance, spilling a pass after some strong running from impressive Bees’ centre Steve Johns. The diminutive winger didn’t have long to wait to atone for his error, finishing off another well executed back line move. Canning missed the conversion but at 0-12 the signs were not looking good for DK.

Yet a good deal of industry – perhaps lacking in a certain finesse – saw the home side dominate possession and territory for the next 20 minutes. Although starved of the ball, the Bees defence was resolute and well organised, frustrating their hosts. DK missed a very kickable penalty chance and insult was added to injury on the half an hour mark when Canning got his second converted try of the afternoon after incepting a speculative pass from opposite number Gareth Bown.

Rod Petty, fed by the Matt Spink, darted under the posts for the Bees third try on the stroke of half time, to go at the break 0-26 to the good - a score-line that probably did not accurately reflect the balance of power in the first forty minutes.

A hand injury for Dai Evans, himself playing out of position at full back, forced a half time reshuffle in the Bees back line. Jack Jolly came on at scrum half, Petty moved out to the No.10 slot and Canning went to full back. It was business as usual, however, up front for the Bees as they looked to assert control in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

Despite Bees pressure, DK dug in and after conceding 5 consecutive penalties, Ashley Scriven was singled out for a 10 minute spell in “the cooler”. He was joined, six minutes later, by back row colleague Steve Leach for not rolling away in the tackle. The now 13 men Bees side were exposed to a sustained period of pressure - however a combination of good tackling and indifferent handling from the home side kept the Bees’ try line un-breached.

Substitute winger Alex O’Malley showed that the visitors still had the most potent attacking threat, cantering up the field like a Cheltenham steeplechaser after yet another turnover. He was brought down in the opposition’s 22 but the siege had been lifted and, restored to a full complement of men, the Bees decided to bring in the heavy horse.

Two forward tries – both by the tireless Chris Goddard and both from rolling mauls from attacking lineouts - took the final score to 0-36, sealing the bonus point in the process.

Next week the Bees will be hoping to complete the double over league leaders Macclesfield, when the Cheshire side visit Portway next Saturday, 8th March kick off 2pm.

Teams:-

Dudley Kingswinford – Smitheman, Adams, Marshall, Bayliss, Jefferson, Bown, Tideswell, Squires, Pedley, Murphy, Parry ©, Francis, Humphreys, Richards. Replacements – Shakespeare, Newell, Williams, Pinches and Smile.

Birmingham & Solihull – Evans, Elvers, Oliver, Johns, Fensome (T), Canning (2T, 3C), Petty (T), Leach, Scriven, Stephens, Goddard (2T), Spink, Bingham, Radburn ©, Koziot. Replacements Boyce, Long, Linnett, O’Malley and Jolly.

Referee – Guy Steele-Bodger