Waterloo 20 Moseley 33

There is safety in numbers and the numbers that mattered for Moseley were those on the scoreboard at Blundellsands, 20-33, which meant Billesley Common would see National One rugby for another year.

Coach Ian Smith admitted to feeling numb at the final whistle. "There has been a hell of a lot of pressure these last few months and all concerned have coped very well with it.

"It is very difficult to play under that sort of pressure, there are always lots of errors but to be fair to the boys even when the errors crept in they kept their mental strength and just stuck at it.

"It is very, very difficult. Let us just hope we are never in this situation again.

"Let's make sure now we work hard enough over the summer to ensure a midtable position."

The experience he believes should make Moseley a better side next season. He said: "It is a hell of a learning curve really and it is very much character building.

"Once you go through these hard times it does give you a bit of resolve. It is something you can think back on, fall back on mentally and realise you can actually get through these hard times.

"That is the most pleasing thing that you actually came through that and to be able to look back and take strength from it."

With so much riding on the game it was no surprise that it rarely rose above the mediocre in terms of rugby but there was enough drama to jangle the nerves of the 300 or so Moseley fans who had made the trip to Liverpool.

Moseley had to win to ensure safety and relegated Waterloo wanted to put on a show in their final hurrah.

So, in the warm spring sunshine, with every tackle or ruck generating clouds of dust, both teams provided their share of errors and anxiety.

The game was elevated by three moments of class.

The first came in the third minute when the ball was moved wide from a Waterloo catch and drive and their centre and captain, the excellent Freeman Payne, scythed through the Moseley defence brushing off full back Tom Hayes to go over from 35 metres.

The other two were both down to Moseley wing Nathan Bressington.

The boot of fly half Ollie Thomas had clawed Moseley back to lead 9-7 when Bressington received the ball wide inside his own 22, kicked past his opposite wing Jan Van De Venter, collected on the run and then side stepped full back Peter Murchie to go in under the posts.

Ten minutes later the ball was swept from left wing to right where Bressingon, with his avenue down the line blocked, came inside and danced his way through the defence to the line where Ollie's boot made it 23-7 and salvation was in sight.

A flurry of penalties took it to 26-13 then prop Marin O'Keefe was bundled over from a catch and drive for the Drummers to make it 26-20 and the beer was starting to taste flat among the Moseley faithful.

But a catch and drive saw Moseley prop Neil Bayliss forced over for a 13-point lead and the pints were foaming again.

Thomas managed three conversions and four penalties as his contribution while the Drummer's No 10 Alex Davies converted

both his side's tries and landed two penalties. The final 20 error-strewn minutes were best forgotten but the moment of relief when the final whistle blew will be remembered for a long time to come.

WATERLOO: Murchie, Loader (Nutt, 70), Payne, Sliczney, Van De Venter; Davies (Monro, 56), Broxson (Erskine, 56); O'Keefe, Ince (Jones, 78), Hopgood (Hall, 57), Brandling-Harris, O'Donnell, Planchant, Palmer, McKay. Replacements: Blythe, Smith.
MOSELEY: Hayes, Bressington, Binns, Reay, Winter; Thomas, Hunter; Buxton, Caves, Bayless, Arnold, Stott (Knight), Mason, Bignell, Rodwell, (Skelding, 80). Replacements: Coles, Bick, O'Leary, Evans, Macdonald.