Bedford Athletic were beaten 28-7 at home by Oundle in a match against the favourites for the league title and a side who fielded six players with either Championship or National One experience.
The home side never gave up but were overcome by the craft and experience of their opponents.
From the start of the match, the home side were scrambling in defence as they struggled to contain their opponents’ offloading game.
They eventually pushed Oundle back outside their 22, but from a lineout catch and drive, Oundle rumbled a rolling maul 25 metres for a try to hooker Grant Snelling.
Fly half Ben Young converted.
Bedford Athletic worked their way back into the match, taking the game to their opponents with pace when possible and when Stephen Woodhead broke through he was stopped only by a last ditch tackle from full back Thomas Oliver.
The home side kept the pressure on with a series of tap penalties and this led to Woodhead getting the try as he darted over from a ruck on the line. Leo Mortimer added the conversion to level the scores at the twenty minute mark.
Penalties began to mount in Oundle’s favour and this allowed them to push the home side back until once again they were in range to send their driving maul over the line for a second try to Snelling.
Bedford Athletic eventually lifted the siege with a fine 50:22 kick from Mortimer, but the lineout from that opportunity plus a further one from a penalty were both lost and the home side were unable to add to their score before the break, trailing 14-7.
Oundle won a scrum penalty from the second half kick off, and when the ball was kicked to touch yet another driving maul appeared to be going over the line.
Spotting the opportunity, scrum half James Fear dug the ball out of the maul to send the unmarked Logan Noble over on the wing for the third try which Young converted.
Ath fail to capitalise against 12 men
Bedford Athletic responded with pressure on the home side’s line and were unlucky when Toby Hunt crashed over for a try only for the referee to stop play and award a penalty and yellow card to the visiting fly half Ben Young for a high tackle.
From the next move, Oundle once again infringed, and this time prop Harry Morley was sin binned.
This briefly led to Oundle going down to 12 players and uncontested scrums with their replacement prop temporarily injured.
With a vast numerical advantage, the home side rather snatched at their opportunity, ignoring the space and then knocking on an offload that would have led to a try being scored.
Further chances came and went for the home side during this period playing against 13 men, with a combination of a lack of composure and a tenacious visiting defence depriving Bedford Athletic of a further try.
Eventually restored to fifteen men, Oundle methodically worked their way back up field from a combination of astute tactical kicking and penalty concessions until they again arrived within striking distance of the Bedford Athletic line.
From there, they sent another driving maul over the line for hooker Snelling to complete his hat trick.
With ten minutes left to play, both sides tried to craft further chances.
Mortimer might have had more luck from an interception but he failed to win the chase for his kick ahead, and in response Oundle made ground with a booming 50:22 kick but then failed to capitalise on the possession within the home side’s 22 leaving the final score at 28-7.
Bedford Athletic, still in tenth in RFU Regional South East Division One, travel to seventh-placed, Shelford on Saturday for a bottom half of the table clash looking for their first away win of the season.
Oundle continue unbeaten with six wins from six, but Letchworth sit above them with an extra bonus point, and they are both clear of Old Northamptonians in third.
Words by Jeremy Tyrrell
