LUDLOW FC joint manager Chris Waldron praised his side’s character after they shook off the blow of conceding twice in the opening ten minutes at AFC Bentley to hit their hosts for six.

The visitors ran out 6-3 victors to move up to sixth place in West Midlands League Division Two – and will look to climb further with a win at basement side Tipton Town Reserves this Saturday.

Waldron said: “After ten minutes I thought it was going to be one of those days but the character that the lads showed was pleasing.

“They are such a young team but they stuck together, got back level and then just blitzed Bentley really – we played some really good stuff.

“Hopefully, we have turned a corner now, we are three unbeaten and we want to push on.”

Top scorer Ryan Lewis put Ludlow in front at Bentley after James Byatt and Tom Everall had cancelled out the hosts’ early advantage.

Jack Marston scored the pick of the goals – a 25-yard free-kick that flew into the top corner – before Everall’s second strike of the game made it 5-2 at half-time.

Jack Davies netted Ludlow’s sixth goal before Bentley bagged a late consolation.

Elsewhere in Division Two, Church Stretton suffered a second defeat in three games, losing 2-1 at home to AFC Darlaston in a battle of third vs second.

Jack Arnold’s 20-yard free-kick put Darlaston ahead on the half-hour before Stretton scrambled home an Aaron Gough corner to level before the break.

However, Arnold’s second put Darlaston 2-1 up on the hour and Stretton had no luck as a James Hill header was cleared off the line.