SEDGLEY PARK............ 46, RUGBY LIONS............... 27: IN the battle of the big cats it was the high-flying Tigers that gave the Lions a thorough mauling to record their eleventh win in 12 games to remain four points clear at the top of the National League Two and on course for promotion.

Both sides contrived to provide a spectacle of open, expansive rugby producing 11 tries.

The scoring was opened by a Ryno Ueckerman penalty after just 30 seconds, which set the tone for the rest of the first half, with Park in dominant mood.

Second row Paul Arnold stormd in for two tries and would have had a hat-trick, but for a forward pass.

With both his touchdowns converted by Ueckerman it gave Park a 17-0 lead after just 14 minutes.

Arnold was then instrumental in Jim Naylor's 25th minute try, which Ueckerman once again converted with Park sitting pretty at with a 24-0 lead.

Rugby the chance to show they can play, well, rugby!

No. 8 Eddie Simkiss was put clear following somwe good work by the visiting forwards and he got Rugby on the scoreboard, although stand-off Jon Boden failed to convert.

With the half-time whistle beckoning, Ueckerman stoked over a second panalty kick to give partk a 27-5 lead at the turn around.

Whereas the first 40 minutes were all Sedgley, the second 40 were a totally different affair, with Park guilty of taking their collective size 10s off the gas a little bit.

A series of drives forced Rugby down field and set-up prop Rhidian Booth for a barge over try, with Boden this time converting, with Simkiss adding his second try minutes later.

With Park down to 14 men after winger John Lowdon was sin-binned, they once more showed ghow dangerous they can be when from a scrum on the left Tim Fourie and Arnold fed No. 8 Keith Senior who crashed over to show how lethal Park can be when in possession.

But the Lions would not lie down and flanker Alex Nash went over fro another Rugby try, but it proved the final roar as Park regained complete control in the final quarter.

Dave McCormack, back to his best, intercepted a loose pass to run in a 50 metre try which Ueckerman again converted. But with just four minutes left Rugby produced a final piece of magic, with a move involving no less than six players in a move that saw the ball moved 60 metre, with right winger Scot Read supplying the final touch.

But Park were not finished and in injury time Ross Bullough fielded a poor clearance kick and beat two defenders before racing in for the touchdown, which the Wilkinson-esque Ueckerman flawlessly converted from long range.

Paul Arnold was outstanding but for the most part so were the whole squad, and with the chasing pack all beating each other Park's pole position is now four points clear of nearest team Harrogate.

SEDGLEY: P. Roberts, Bullough, Naylor, Hassan, Lowdon, Ueckerman, McCormack (Wilkinson, 75), G. Roberts, Oxley, Thomas (Pinnick, 73), Arnold, Stockdale, Lloyd (Fourie, 53), Yates and Senior.

RUGBY: Stoop, Read, Roberts, Warner, Spencer-Brown, Boden, Rees, Booth, Brittin, Greenbury, Stannard, Carson, Crofts, Nash and Simkiss.