LUCTONIANS complete their league campaign at home this Saturday in the knowledge that a point of any sort would confirm a top half National League finish for the first time since 2016.

However, Mortimer Park plays hosts to league champions Hull who have lost just twice all season.

Last weekend Josh Watkins' side suffered a narrow 31-24 defeat at local rivals Stourbridge in a game which the lead changed hands on five different occasions.

The hosts caught the visitors sleeping, with a try in the first minute from Mark Harrison after a 50-metre break from winger Dan Rundle exposed Lucs, with former Worcester Warrior Mike Heaney adding the extras.

Stunned into action by the slow start Lucs got their first points from the boot of Owen Randell, his penalty from just in front making the score 7-3.

The visitors were now on top of most facets of the game despite playing into the wind, and it was no surprise when they took the lead through Aiden Cheshire’s score, after a very well worked lineout move put Randell through a gap and he fed the Number 8, before knocking over the extras for 7-10 after 16 minutes.

Lucs remained on top for the remainder of the half, but the Stourbridge threat out wide was always there, exemplified by Rundle, who against the run of play ran 60 metres, evading defenders all the way for a solo try that put the hosts back in front 12-10.

A disallowed score from Luctonians looked to have taken the wind out of their sails on 36 minutes, only for the hosts to try the trick of hurling the ball to the wing once too often, and hooker Ben Link picked off an interception and ran it in from 35 metres out to give Lucs a deserved 12-17 lead at the break, with Randell making knocking over the conversion.

Luctonians responded after half-time with hooker Jack Lea crashing over to tie the scores up at 17-17 on 47 minutes.

The visitors remained vulnerable on the wings and Matt Moseley this time streaking down the right wing, to score a try that started close to the home side’s own 22.

Heaney would make no mistake this time with the extras for 24-17.

Lucs came roaring back with decent pressure applied on the Stourbridge line, until an interception from Moseley allowed him to race fully 90 metres to score his second, Stourbridge’s fifth try and their fourth from long range in the game.

With Heaney’s conversion on 67 minutes, suddenly Lucs were 31-17 down.

The visitors' spirits were still not broken and with five minutes still on the clock replacement scrum half Josh Nott went over from a quick tap penalty, with Tom Jones adding the extras.

But the hosts kept the ball well though for the final minutes, closing out a 31-24 win.