STOURBRIDGE Lions hosted Shrewsbury in a key game for both sides.

Although the Lions started brightly they eventually succumbed to a sharper, well organised visiting outfit.

With changes having to be made owing to the loss of Fred Brooks at the last minute and the injuries to scrum-half Ben Trinham and prop Ross Bowser, the Lions started quickly, putting a series of attacks together and pressuring Shrews into early penalty errors.

On three minutes a penalty gave the home side a 3-0 lead and around the quarter hour another gave the Lions a 6-0 lead, both converted by Sam Wilson.

Despite pressure the Lions failed to score tries or add to their score and Shrews gained in confidence and began to find gaps in the home defence.

A penalty reduced the arrears on 25 minutes and, despite having lost a player to the sin-bin a move to the left along their backs and a missed tackle just after the half hour left the Lions 8-6 behind at half time.

The second half was a litany of missed tackles, 12 in all, as Shrews scored three more tries, two converted.

The first second half try came just after the restart, with the conversion making it 15-6 to Shrews, again the result of missed tackles.

A further try 10 minutes later pushed the visitors out to 20 points and seeming safety.

To their credit the Lions came storming back and, aided by illegal attempts to slow the ball down, they camped for some time in or around the visitors’ 22. Eventually the pressure told and Tom Dews crashed over to the left of the posts. Unfortunately the conversion was missed, leaving the Lions 20-11 down.

The last word went to Shrews who piled on the agony with a final try through a tiring defence and a conversion to give them maximum points and further distance ahead of the Lions in the table. The defeat leaves the Lions in eighth.

However, with a free weekend coming up and then games against Stafford and Tamworth shortly after there is plenty of scope to start winning again.