COACH Norman Stalker watched Ludlow roar back from the brink of blowing the Midlands Three West (North) title and declared: “Nobody could deny our right to be champions.”

Local rivals Cleobury Mortimer, already promoted alongside the Linneymen, had built a 19-5 lead in Saturday’s decisive finale to require one more try and the win to pinch the crown.

But Ludlow had other ideas with Mark Williams, Jim Alderson (2), Sam Wilkes (2), Laurence Hughes, Sam Thomas and Tom Amphlett crossing the whitewash in a 54-19 comeback. Will Sparrow kicked seven conversions.

“In the end it was the performance of champions,” said Stalker.

“We camped in their 22 for a good 10 minutes after kick-off but they defended like lunatics before kicking down the pitch and working it really well to score.

“They threw absolutely everything at us and scored again within another three or four minutes. They got one of those one-in-a-thousand bounces into the winger’s hands and he was in under the posts.

“We came back really well and scored a nice try before making our only defensive mistake in the game to give them a third.

“Considering they only needed a win with four tries to be champions, 19-5 down was a pretty tough place to be after half an hour but we came storming back with some fabulous rugby.

“The try before half-time gave us a lift and we tore them to ribbons in the second half. We had said at half-time how we needed to get the next score and take the game to them.

“We were outstanding, scored six tries and nobody could deny our right to be champions. We thumped the team in second place on their own patch having been 14 points down – that says everything about the quality of our lads. It was thoroughly deserved.”

Bullish Stalker admitted to being taken back by the way his side have surged forward this term and made the case for a top-half finish in Midlands Two.

“When you look at the league table and see more than 1,000 points from 22 games with less than 300 conceded, it has been an outstanding season,” he added.

“If I am honest, the rate of progress has been better than I thought it would be. Our understanding of how to play has really come on so I am one happy coach.

“I think we will be very competitive at the next level. When I look at the season before when we beat the champions Tamworth quite comfortably at home, I didn’t think there was a great deal between the teams and they have just finished fifth in the division above.

“As things stand, I believe we can be in the top half of the table. Of course, there are a few unknowns, it depends on people staying at the club, work not taking them away and whether the fact we’ve been promoted will help us to recruit.

“There are so many things that can change but I still fully expect us to be competitive. We are looking forward to it.”