GREYHOUND earned a vital win in their battle to avoid the drop against the Midlands Four West (North)'s bottom side St Leonards, in extremely poor conditions.

The conditions were so poor that by the end of the game it was just 30 players in brown rather than as the two sides were at the start of the game.

A forwards game was always likely in the conditions and the first 25 minutes played out that way, with both teams struggling to get any passing moves going and the forwards crashing towards the try-lines.

Fly-half Matt Swain converted two penalties in this period but this was cancelled out as Kelvin Westwood crashed over the line following a drive from the St Leonard’s pack.

With half-time looming, it looked like the Dogs would be going into half-time a point down but following another successful penalty, Swain managed to break through a couple of tackles to race clear to score the game's first try, to which he duly added the two points for a 16-7 half time lead.

Thanks to worsening conditions, the second half had to wait 30 minutes to see the score-board troubled again as Tom Dickenson picked the ball up from the bottom of a ruck to drive over from five metres out following, possibly, the one flowing back move of the game.

Swain failed to add the conversion this time and when Gareth Jones went over for the visitors with just minutes to go, it could have been a nervy last few minutes but the conversion was missed and Greyhound held on for a vital win in the battle for survival.

Greyhound: Ali Paton, Matt Catterall, Luke Williams, Elliot Phillips, Rob Tyler, Matt Swain, Chris Morris, Tom Dickenson, Jamie Gibbons, Joe Morris, Oli Paton, George Gywnne, Cody Foster, Rob Gummer, Matt Botton. Subs: Will Prothero, Josh Thompson, Mitchell Loughman, Darron Oatley, Stuart McDonald.