Sat 24 Jan 2026
Bromsgrove 55–19 Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth’s difficult start to 2026 continued as they were well
beaten by a clinical Bromsgrove side at Finstall Park, conceding 55
points in a bruising North Midlands encounter that was effectively
decided before half-time. The day began on a positive note off the
field, with the official Bridgnorth party warmly hosted by Bromsgrove
President ‘Welly’ for his rearranged pre-match lunch — the beef and
sticky toffee pudding proving every bit as impressive as the welcome.
Unfortunately for the visitors, matters on the pitch quickly moved in
a different direction.
Kicking off playing away from the road, Bridgnorth survived an early
scare when Bromsgrove missed a penalty, before producing a rare
first-quarter highlight. Luke Brough intercepted a loose ball and
showed good pace and intent, only to be hauled down inches from the
corner by excellent home cover defence. It was a brief reprieve.
Bromsgrove soon asserted themselves with four unanswered tries in the
opening quarter to race into a 26–0 lead. Bridgnorth struggled badly
to contain the home side’s varied attack: the powerful carries of
Bromsgrove’s number eight off the base, relentless pick-and-go
pressure from the forwards — with the loose-head particularly
influential — and sharp, elusive running from the backs, especially
the scrum-half.
Most concerning for the visitors was the defensive effort. Too many
tackles were slipped or left incomplete, allowing Bromsgrove to build
momentum and recycle quickly. A five-metre lineout drive was also
marched over with little resistance, underlining the growing gap
between the sides. Bridgnorth finally found a foothold when forwards
and backs combined effectively to put Luke Brough over for a
well-worked team try. Any chance of building on that, however, was
quickly extinguished when the restart clearance went straight into
touch, handing Bromsgrove immediate attacking territory. After
initially holding the ball up over the line, Bridgnorth were undone
moments later when a goal-line dropout stalled in the strong wind,
allowing Bromsgrove to power over from close range, a drop-kick
conversion stretching the lead further.
To their credit, Bridgnorth rallied late in the half. A sustained
spell of pressure earned two penalties, the second of which saw Morgan
French score a deserved try, converted by Elliot Murphy. Even then,
Bromsgrove had the final say before the interval, adding a penalty and
another converted try to take a commanding 43–12 lead into half-time.
It was a sobering opening 40 minutes — arguably Bridgnorth’s most
disappointing of the season. Pre-match expectations of a close contest
were quickly dashed, as Bromsgrove’s offloading, support play and
accuracy in contact stood in stark contrast to the visitors’ defensive
struggles. Bridgnorth remained on the field at the break as the
coaching team looked to arrest the slide.
The second half began no more kindly. Although Bridgnorth cleared long
with the wind from the restart, missed follow-up tackles allowed
Bromsgrove to counter-attack from deep and score again in the corner,
converting to extend the lead. Two successive high-tackle penalties
against Bridgnorth followed, the second resulting in a yellow card for
Dan Brough. Despite being reduced to 14, Bridgnorth showed resilience,
defending their line stoutly through much of the sin-bin period,
including a five-metre lineout stand and another held-up try over the
line. However, when the ball was eventually cleared to the ten-metre
line, Bromsgrove’s sharp angles, handling and support once again told,
producing another converted score to make it 55–12.
Bromsgrove then saw one of their own sent to the sin-bin for a
deliberate knock-on, and Bridgnorth seized the opportunity to finish
strongly. Jack Cole chased down a long kick, reacted brilliantly as it
bounced into his hands past a would-be defender, and sprinted in under
the posts. Murphy added the conversion with a confident drop-kick.
Sensing the chance of a fourth try and a valuable bonus point,
Bridgnorth pushed hard in the closing stages, producing some of their
best combinations of the afternoon as tired bodies were thrown into
contact. Ultimately, the breakthrough would not come, and the referee
brought proceedings to a close at 55–19.
Full credit must go to Bromsgrove for a high-quality, relentless
performance. Bridgnorth, meanwhile, left everything on the park, but
the sheer volume of tackles took its toll, with injuries mounting from
the heavy collisions. Attention now turns quickly to next Saturday’s
trip to Dudley Kingswinford. Despite having only one win to their name
this season, the local rivals will be desperate to claim a notable
scalp. With Bridgnorth currently eighth, and facing the possibility of
ninth place end-of-season relegation play-offs, rediscovering
attacking form and defensive solidity has become increasingly urgent.
All support will be welcome, both on the road to Heathbrook, and
afterwards at the Burns Celebration back in the Bob Turner Room, as
Bridgnorth look to regroup and improve on their league place.
