Bedford Athletic lost their first round promotion play off away to Broadstreet In Regional Two Midlands East.
The 29-22 loss, in what eventually was a close contest, eliminated them from the play offs and brings the 2025-26 season to an end.
Bedford Athletic started the match with plenty of energy, but were unfortunately lacking in accuracy. They lost their first two lineouts and the passing was not to hand and as a result they struggled to build momentum.
Therefore, it was Broadstreet who scored first, when a speculative kick ahead was fielded comfortably by the home full back and he initiated a counter attack that the visiting defence failed to cover, allowing centre Robert Knox to streak away down the right wing for the opening try.
When Knox was sin-binned for a high tackle, it allowed the visitors an opening back into the game.
They kicked a penalty to the corner, and a series of further attacks resulted in further penalties. Eventually, the ball came wide to the left wing for Nathan Litchfield to cross for Bedford Athletics’ opening try, which on a breezy day went unconverted.
Restored to full strength, Broadstreet reapplied their suffocating defensive pressure, and when the visitors kicked a clearance out on the full they had an attacking lineout from which they broke through the Bedford Athletic line, the try being finished off by Callum Hopkin.
Again, Bedford Athletic looked to go forward from the restart, but were lacking precision in their structure and when they were stripped of the ball in the tackle the counter attack went the length of the field for a second try of the day to Robert Knox.
Morgan converted again for a 21-5 lead.
Two minutes later, his team had a fourth try when the Bedford Athletic full back failed to deal with a long clearing kick from Morgan, was tackled and turned over and this directly led to a try finished this time by second row forward, Liam O’Brien.
When Charlie Reed was sin-binned for Bedford Athletic with four minutes of the half to play, it left them with a serious defensive effort to remain in the game up to half time.
This they did, to trail 26-5 at the break.
Bedford Athletic took the initiative after the break, however they still initially struggled to make a breakthrough.
Although they increasingly built pressure close to the home side’s line, they were frustrated by knock-ons, a forward pass and the intensity of the Broadstreet defence.
Following a sin-binning for home number eight, Adam Peters, following a series of penalty offences, several quick flat passes did finally break that defence and enabled Litchfield to go through for his second try of the day on 49 minutes.
Immediately, Broadstreet returned to the Bedford Athletic half and kicked a penalty for a 29-10 lead.
Using the wind, Bedford Athletic were able to quickly regain territory and a 50:22 kick went deep into the Broadstreet 22 giving Bedford Athletic an attacking lineout.
From that, they were able to stretch the home defence and send right winger Oscar Bickers over for a third try on the hour mark. Leo Mortimer this time converted.
Bedford Athletic continued to keep the pressure on, and another deep kick forced a rushed clearance from the home side and another attacking lineout.
Again, some direct running helped suck in and then stretch the home defence and although Lucas Nisbett-Hadaway originally had a try ruled out, Bickers was again on hand to finish off a move from the next penalty to cut the deficit to 29-22.
The final ten minutes saw Broadstreet try to reimpose themselves on the game but there were still two clear cut chances to the visiting side.
The first saw an unlucky bounce on a deep Charlie Reed kick, and the second was a length of the field move on the final play, where Bedford Athletic ran from their own half to their hosts try line, but a final cross field kick when an overlap was available went into touch.
Despite the defeat it was overall a good performance on which to end the season, but once again highlighted issues of accuracy and cohesion under pressure that Bedford Athletic need to address to challenge the top of the table sides next season.
Words by Jeremy Tyrrell
