COMING off the back of an excellent cup performance against Malvern the previous week expectations were high as the Ledbury squad travelled to Evesham full of confidence.

EVESHAM 8pts, LEDBURY 41pts

Evesham have struggled this season in the Midlands Three West (South) division so the signs were for a comfortable Ledbury victory. As a result, Ledbury's performance in the opening quarter of the game was flat and they fell behind to a well struck penalty carelessly given away by Dave Kitchin.

Going three points down stirred the sleeping Ledbury forwards into action and they started to dominate scrummage and lineout and were then able to provide scrum half Bruce Jones with plenty of ball.

The pack increased their work rate and began to carry the ball with gusto, led with courage and no small amount of skill by captain Mick Christopherson and the ever reliable Isiah Young.

With the forwards well in control, Ledbury's back division came into their own. Marshalled from outside half by late replacement Rob Collins, the backs started to cut big holes in what was an already tiring Evesham defence. Dave Pickering was dynamic, making yards up the middle and creating acres of space for the more fleet of foot Mark Cox and James White to exploit out wide.

Follow a tirade of encouragement during the interval, the away team, with motivational words still ringing in their ears, stepped up a gear and early in the second half tries started to come more frequently, with both forwards and backs crossing.

Rob Collins capped a man of the match winning performance by scoring twice and converting three of the seven tries in total.

Other try scorers included Simon Wragg, Greg Powell, Mark Cox, James White and Kester Wilkinson.

Ledbury ran out eventual comfortable winners by 41-8.

Ledbury's next league game is at home against Silhillians on Saturday, March 15.