TENBURY were left battered and bruised as they bowed out of the Midlands Junior Vase on the end of a hefty 56-5 defeat at Aston Old Edwardians.

Aston had the more experienced and heavier players and took control from the outset to open up a clear 35-0 half-time lead.

But Ed Gough’s men improved as the game wore on, tackling especially well, though they suffered a blow when they lost front-row forward Craig Curtis, who sustained a deep cut from a stray knee.

Scrum-half Lawson Thomas, with a twisted ankle, and winger Claude Celton, with a foot injury, also came off and Aston kept piling on the points to stretch their lead to 56-0.

But the visitors refused to go down without a fight, and with Craig Parkes making some piercing runs and tackling his heart out, they rustled up a try of their own in the 67th minute when Jacob Bellingham-Albert darted over in the corner for a touchdown on his debut.

Tenbury stuck to their task, despite the massive deficit, and they were denied a second score when Joseph O’Hara, another debutant, was hauled down just short of the line. In doing so, he was injured and also had to leave the field.