HEAD coach Mikey Jones has challenged his Ludlow RFC side to string three wins together to propel themselves into the upper echelons of Midlands One West.

Ludlow continued their yo-yo season with a last-gasp 20-18 win over Stourbridge Lions on Saturday – but they have followed up each of their last five home victories with away losses.

That is a sequence Jones wants to halt with victory at second-bottom Sutton Coldfield this weekend as he bids to turn his promoted mid-table outfit into a top-five side.

Jones said: “After Sutton, we have (10th-placed) Old Halesonians at home and it is a good chance for us to get three wins in a row. That’s what I’ve told the squad we are aiming for.

“After that we have Whitchurch at home which is tough but we went toe-to-toe with them at their place and only lost by a point when we should have won.

“If we can get these three wins and beat a top team as well, that could take us up to sixth or fifth, which is where we want to be competing.”

Ludlow needed a last-minute try from Theo Hodnett and conversion from stand-in kicker Jack Lines to beat Stourbridge.

With regular kicker Will Sparrow still sidelined still through injury, Lines, himself returning from a serious shoulder injury, stepped up to the tee to slot the vital kick.

For a long time, Stourbridge had looked likely winners even though their pack was heavily outgunned by Ludlow.

They had withstood long periods of pressure in both halves when Ludlow, camped on their opponents’ line, failed to gain the scrum penalties that looked to be due.

Both sides exchanged penalties after Tom Amphlett’s early try for Ludlow but Stourbridge crafted an overlap to score in the corner and level matters at 8-8 before half time.

Stourbridge eased out a slim lead with a penalty before Joe Doyle switched play with a long pass to fly-half Keiron Pinches, who fed Amphlett to beat his man to score in the corner.

Stourbridge hit back with some slick handling of their own to take a five-point lead before Ludlow pitched camp on the Stourbridge try line and Hodnett eventually crossed.

Jones added: “We controlled the game but just couldn’t convert our chances. The last ten minutes was all us and we dominated up front all game but the referee didn’t give us much.

“But we got our just rewards at the end. It was a bit of a nail-biter but we got there.”

Elsewhere, Cleobury Mortimer boosted their Midlands Three West North promotion push with a 19-14 home win over Edwardians.

Scores from Lucas Beech and Josh Winfield, plus a penalty try and an Alex Sparks conversion, kept Mortimer fourth in the table.