It wasn’t exactly one of his best, nor delivered in the happiest of circumstances but Michael Ellery still had cause to enjoy the try that saw him finish as Moseley’s leading scorer.

The quicksilver No.8 grabbed his ninth of an impressive season in last Saturday’s defeat to Plymouth Albion, a match that marked the end of his two years at Billesley Common.

The England Sevens-bound back-rower needed none of the pace that has made him such a sensation in the full-sided version of the game, though if he could recreate the opportunism and benign bounce that characterised his latest strike, he could find the IRB circuit an extremely profitable place.

That stage of his career, however, does not begin in earnest until May 21, which means Ellery has a few weeks to enjoy his victory in the race to end the campaign as the club’s top try scorer.

Two in his final two games lifted the Cumbrian one ahead of long-time leader Andy Reay and two clear of winger Brad Hunt, with Anthony Carter and Billy Robinson further back on five.

Captain Reay became marooned on eight having not crossed the whitewash since January – a fact that did not go unnoticed by Ellery.

“I am not really that bothered about being top try scorer but the important thing was I beat Razor,” the 22-year-old quipped.

“Before the game I said I would pass him the ball if I got over the line – as long as he did a little dance move. We had that planned but when I got the try he was nowhere near. He gave up and stropped off a few minutes after that.”

For the record Reay picked up an injury and with nothing on the outcome discretion became the better part. By that stage Moseley had already conceded four of the eight they shipped in a 54-24 hammering.

And Ellery admitted it had been hard to lift themselves after securing safety three weeks earlier.

“We just weren’t at the races until at half-time when we got a bit of a rollicking,” he said.

“It didn’t seem to change us much, a few of the boys were carrying some knocks because it’s been a long hard season and I think that showed at Plymouth.

“Personally I think we were the best of the bottom four but there was not a lot to put between us and Plymouth.

“It’s been close between us and them all season, there wasn’t much in the league matches.

“And we forgot about winning the Pool when we were playing but with about five minutes left Brad Davies said ‘Lads if we get two tries we are top of the table’.” Which they duly got through Colin Quigley and Robinson on the last play.