NEW recruit Ryan Home was the toast as Clee Hill RFC swept to their first victory of the season in Midlands 3 West (North).

They were convincing 30-0 winners over visiting Wednesbury, with Man-of-the-Match Home, an inside-centre recruited from Bridgnorth during the summer, scoring 15 of Clee Hill’s points with a try, a pair of penalties and two conversions.

Home’s eye-catching touchdown was the pick of Clee Hill’s four tries as he linked cleverly with Charlie Evans to breach the Wednesbury defence and help Matt Bowen’s side to glean a useful bonus point.

Full-back George Evans, winger Dan Drinkwater and flanker Richard Fletcher also went over the Wednesbury line as Clee Hill tasted victory in the league at the third time of asking after defeats at the hands of Tamworth and Newcastle in their opening two matches.

Skipper Bowen said: “We played well and we could have scored more points. But it was good to finally open our winning account, and the bonus point was another plus for us.”

In Midlands 5 (West) North Tenbury went down fighting in a 17-7 defeat at Stourport.

The game, which also doubled up as the Willis-Hoskins Memorial Cup, saw Tenbury’s points come from a try from Adam West that skipper Ed Gough converted.

Newly promoted Cleobury Mortimer also suffered a narrow defeat in their belated opening game of the season in Midlands 3 West (North). They were beaten 16-13 in a closely fought contest at home by Tamworth, who had won 37-3 at Clee Hill the previous week.

This weekend sees the league take an early-season break with most of the local clubs in cup action.

Cleobury Mortimer host a North Midlands Shield Plate quarter-final against Ledbury, while Tenbury are involved in the Midlands Junior Vase and face a trip to Aston Old Edwardians. Clee Hill are without a cup fixture so have arranged a friendly at Droitwich 2nd.