JUNIOR RUGBY: Bromsgrove under-14s 17 Cheltenham 33.

AFTER working really hard fundraising on Friday evening and Saturday, the lads were back in action on the pitch on Sunday morning.

With a couple of absences and a few players turning out when not 100 per cent, the task would be even greater.

However, Cheltenham were also missing key players so the match would be of a high standard.

Cheltenham were quick to seize the initiative and put the Bromsgrove defence under pressure from the very start and were rewarded for their efforts with the opening score.

Bromsgrove regrouped and slowly gained a foothold in the game after withstanding intense pressure.

They started to gain some momentum and were pressing forward when Cheltenham who were more organised across the pitch created a breakaway try to pull out a 14 point advantage.

Bromsgrove continued to battle and were now matching their opponents and successive drives from the forwards and a powerful burst from James Harborne narrowed the gap.

Towards the interval Bromsgrove continued to fight doggedly but again were lacking in depth and caught by another breakaway through the centre to leave the scores 21-5 at half time.

Hopes of a comeback were raised as the team acted together and started to expose the Cheltenham defence and the pressure resulted in a second try for Harborne who once again showed great determination to touch down where a conversion was easier and duly slotted home.

Cheltenham were now in a match and stepped up again and repelled the Bromsgrove attacks whilst looking more than capable of scoring again on the counter which they did.

Bromsgrove then lost Will Hargreaves, who was filling in at full-back, to injury and were forced to play a man down.

Despite this they remained positive and hopes were once again increased when Nick Freer broke clear and scored.

Unfortunately the conversion attempt was not successful so the points difference remained a problem.

As Bromsgrove continued to seek to reduce the margin further they were once again caught out at the back as Cheltenham ran in their fifth.