Both Harrogate and Stourbridge, 25-19 winners at home to Harrogate on Saturday, need one more win for mathematical safety from relegation from National League division two.

And on the evidence of Saturday's match Stourbridge seem the more

determined to escape the drop.

Stourbridge after winning the toss surprisingly chose to play against the wind, but proceded to score twenty points. It was 35 minutes before Harrogate scored.

Stourbridge fly-half Hughes kicked two penalties into the wind within the first ten minutes and these were soon followed by tries from wings Ross and

Bressington and a conversion from Hughes.

With five minutes of the half remaining Harrogate came to life with a try from left wing Tapster, which went unconverted.

Harrogate played some of their best rugby into the gale and after seven minutes of the second half centre Barker crossed the line for a try to which fly-half Cholewa added a fine conversion.

Harrogate welcomed back their inspirational skipper and scrum half Morgan when he came off the bench to replace Visser after fifty minutes.

Harrogate's mini-revival was short lived as right wing Bressington went over in the corner for an unconverted try to extend Stourbridge's lead.

Another late rally from Harrogate produced a second try for Barker with a conversion from Cholewa following good work by full back Smithies and centre Duncombe.

Updated: 10:27 Monday, March 22, 2004