CLEOBURY Mortimer head coach Rod Yapp insists he always knew his side would steer clear of relegation trouble.

Saturday’s 27-7 win over Eccleshall lifted Mortimer to eighth in Midlands Three West North, 14 points clear of the bottom two with just six games remaining.

Tom Leach scored a brace while Sam Gittens and Jack Bills also crossed. Alex Sparks added two conversions and a penalty.

Yapp said: “If we can get the right team out, not many sides in this league can beat us. It wasn’t a champagne performance but it was gutsy.”

Clee Hill suffered double disaster with a league defeat and cup exit – in the same game.

Their Midlands Four West North promotion hopes suffered a potentially fatal blow with a 21-3 defeat at Aston Old Edwardians in a game that doubled as the North Midlands Vase quarter-final.

Bishops Castle and Onny Valley continued their improvement in Midlands Five West North with a 34-0 shutout of hosts Stourport.