Moseley 23

Bristol 14

Not for a moment can we claim Bristol are anything like Superman, fine figures they might be but super they certainly are not - at least when they come to Billesley Common, yet there is definitely something of the Kryptonite about Moseley.

For the fourth time in five matches redoubtable Mose have decked glass-jawed Bristol, who seem utterly repulsed by the mere sight of those Red and Black shirts. Especially when they hurtle towards them without regard for their own safety.

The Memorial Stadium outfit have visited Chillesley four times and after tonight's shellacking have just a single, paltry draw to show for their efforts, which tend to start off full of dangerous intention but become cowed as Moseley drag them into a bunfight.

Indeed Kevin Maggs's men don't even have to be at home to upset the well-heeled Bristolians, they have done the league double over them this season and have won at the Mem in the last two campaigns.

Their secret? Keep going, continue applying pressure and wait for the implosion. Whatever happens until that point is almost irrelevant, indeed Moseley have clawed back 14 and 15-point deficits this season alone.

And so it was tonight. Moseley allowed their guests first use of the conditions, the omnipresent wind to go with the slope and rain, which drove into their faces.

And Bristol would have felt short-changed going in at half time having had threequarters of the possession and territory but only produced a 14-7 lead.

Strange as it sounds, despite all the pressure, they might not have had that, especially given the fact their first try, after just ten minutes, was one that should never have happened.

Certainly not from Ryan Glynn's point of view, the young scrum half will probably have nightmares after the way Bristol winger Ryan Edwards ripped the ball out of his grasp and scampered 25m unopposed for the softest of scores.

Rugby's a macho sport and no-one likes having their toys snatched from them.

That set the visitors on their way though and after another nine minutes they had their second try after bravely eschewing a simple kick at goal to go for the corner.

After one false start the ball was reclaimed at the back of the lineout and Ross Johnston rode the maul to the line.

Former Mose play-maker Tristan Roberts converted both and created what looked like a sublime third just after the midway point of the period when he attacked the gain-line and shortened his pass to put Luke Eves scything through.

The centre romped untouched into the 22 only to have the score pulled back for what the touch judge saw as a forward pass.

It was a massive let off for Moseley, who in truth had not been in the game until that point.

However, they know to keep plugging away at the Men from the Mem and it paid off just before half-time when a series of mauls saw Redford Pennycook sin-binned.

With a man advantage the hosts continued to press and the impressive Sam Dickinson, on as an early replacement for fractured eye-socket victim Ben Pienaar, squeezed over from an inch. Ollie Thomas's conversion put Mose back into bonus point territory.

But Mose weren't thinking of such fripperies. They were well in the game and they came out after the interval and played the conditions superbly.

With their forwards gaining the upper hand, both in the loose and set-piece, they reigned supreme as Thomas kicked three penalties to make it 16-14.

Another ex-Mose fly half Mathew Jones then missed a relatively straightforward chance to reclaim the advantage and that was all Moseley needed.

They marched back down the field and with visitors' full back Jack Tovey looking like jelly under a barrage of up and unders, Mose finally smuggled the brilliant Buster Lawrence over the line.

Thomas converted once more and left Bristol, supposedly chasing promotion, but once again chasing shadows.

MOSELEY: Thomas; Hunt, King, Carter, Robinson B; Hughes, Glynn R (Brown 67); Waller (Warren 67), Wilkes (Williams 67), Evans, Lawrence B, Powell (Lockley 56), Mason (Pons 55-60, 73), Robinson O, Pienaar (Dickinson 27). Replacement: Davies

BRISTOL: Tovey; Watkins (Short 69), Otto, Eves, Edwards; Roberts (Jones 62), Grindal (Tipuna 71); Traynor, Johnston (Lawrence R 62), Thompson (Douglas 48), Glynn B (Townson 24), Winters, Mama, Pennycook, Eadie (Grieve 57).