LUDLOW RFC smashed Sutton Coldfield 50-26 to continue their solid start to life back in Midlands One West – and left head coach Mikey Jones thinking things could have been even better.

The victory means Ludlow sit seventh out of 14 teams after promotion last term – but the fact that both of their defeats have been by the narrowest of margins leaves Jones looking up not down.

He said: “We’re very pleased with our start but we have lost two and drawn one – if we had taken the right choices in those games, we’d be having a conversation about us being top, or close to it.

“Saturday’s win was a big boost for the boys and it was the first time we had scored four tries in a game since coming up so it has showed the lads we can do it at this level.”

Ludlow visit local rivals Whitchurch this weekend, looking for more league points against a side that has won just once this term.

Centre Jack Lines bagged a brace in the win over Sutton, while Joe Doyle, Will Sparrow, Tom Amphlett and Jim Alderson also crossed as Ludlow led 31-0 at one stage.

But a sloppy spell early in the second half allowed Sutton back into the game and Jones admitted: “We switched off for 20 minutes and it was a bit disappointing to let them score so many points.”

Elsewhere, Ludlow seconds thrashed Telford 64-5 with a hat-trick for winger Dylan Humphries, braces from Ben Black, Louis Frankland and James Pritchard plus a Tomas Evans try.