FRESH from victories over the top two North Midlands One league teams, Upton were out for revenge following a one-point defeat in September.

UPTON 48pts, TENBURY 3pts

Once again Upton were forced into six team changes through injuries and players unavailable, but this did not prevent the hosts being in rampant form as they aimed to keep up with the leading league teams.

Upton camped in the Tenbury half from the outset but stern defending held them at bay. After 15 minutes left winger Nigel Watson ran round his opposite number to score a try following a long miss pass from centre and skipper Rob Heeley, who then added the conversion.

Upton continued to attack but after 20 minutes flanker Ollie Jones was forced to see the hospital nurses following a cut to the forehead. The ever-dependable Nick Bennett took his place.

Tenbury kicked downfield to the Upton ten-metre line where Watson was well placed to catch the ball and go on a cross-field run drawing some of the covering defence with him. He then slipped the ball to centre Brad Raymond who then outpaced the remaining defenders over 40 metres to score wide out and the score moved to 12-0.

Lacking an opposition able to offer enough resistance in the rucks and mauls meant that Upton players kept going over the top. This, coupled with the fact that Upton tried to play too fast, resulted in there being no further scores in the first half.

Brad Raymond retired at half-time and on came Tim Badger. Upton restarted the match with the ever-improving Adam Heath snatching the ball from Tenbury's waiting pack. The ball was worked up field and finally Rob Heeley crashed over to score. The score now stood at 17-0.

Then followed a long kick downfield on a rare visit to Upton's half. Upton infringed to allow Tenbury's Watts to convert a penalty kick.

With the line-outs ruled by John Kitchener, Adam Heath cleaning up much of Tenbury's ball at the back and prop Melvyn Hill's strong drives unstoppable, it was only a matter of time before the floodgates opened.

Scrum half Matt Mitchell scored two tries in quick succession when diving through on the blind side and Heeley re-found his kicking boots when converting one of the tries. To take the score to 29-3.

Upton's back row of Bennett, Heath and Wynn was continually forcing Tenbury onto the back foot and into mistakes and number ten, Mark Tether was on hand to further hassle a tiring Tenbury team.

From one such pattern of play Tether went over under the posts and Heeley added the extra points moving the score to 36-3.

Next up was Tim Badger, who had not played first XV rugby for 18 months due to injury and farming commitments. But following a 2pm call-up to the bench, he was on hand to gallop through the bemused Tenbury defence.

Heeley converted Badger's try with the score now at 43-3.

The final try went to debutant Richard Williams and the final score was 48-3.

This victory leaves Upton still in fifth position but just four points behind the leaders.

The next and penultimate match of the season is away to Fiveways on April 6 and the final league match is at home to Bromyard on April 13.