Bedford Athletic fought hard for a well earned 24-19 victory against a tenacious Stamford team to maintain their perfect league start in Regional Two Midlands East.
The result was a reversal of the score at the same venue at the end of last season, and an encouraging marker for a new and developing team which included seven players who have all made the first team debuts this season.
Stamford had the better of the early exchanges, and a well placed 50:22 kick gave them an attacking lineout early in the match, from which a rolling maul trundled over the visitor’s line for the opening try to hooker Harley Riches.
A similar kick minutes later looked to be the precursor to another attack, but this time the visitors held firm and, winning a couple of penalties themselves, moved play upfield.
From a lineout just inside the Stamford half, fly half Beau Stenson got the backline moving with a half break that saw play carried across the field, and finished with a try in the left corner for wing Josh Cassell on 13 minutes.
Gradually the visitors’ pressure began to push their hosts back, and having driven play into the Stamford 22, Ryan Taylor did well to hold up a maul, winning Bedford Athletic an attacking scrum.
Although the first scoring chance ended with a knock on, the visitors forced a lineout and from that an attacking set play saw captain Steve Smith on the end of the move for a second try on 24 minutes.
A 50-metre penalty kick deep into the home half set up another attacking lineout, and this time it was the forwards’ turn to rumble forward, ending with debutant back row, Fisayo Alade scoring his first try for the club on 28 minutes.
The try was converted by Stenson for a 17-5 lead.
Having established a lead, the visitors then took their foot off the pedal and surrendered it.
First from a midfield scrum, home inside centre Tom Porter crashed through several tackles to run a full 50 metres to the line for a score, converted by scrum half Fraser Hutton.
Then, as ill discipline crept into the visitor’s play, a penalty kick to the corner saw first a five-metre lineout drive and then an attacking scrum for Stamford, from which fly half Will Church wriggled through a gap by the posts for his side’s third try.
Stamford led 19-17 at half time.
Bedford Athletic held the upper hand in the first ten minutes of the second period, but struggled to make their dominance pay; too often frustrated by errors such as knock-ons or losing the ball in contact.
They were equally profligate in possession, and the match approached the hour mark with no further score.
The departure of back row, Rob Watkins to injury looked to have marked a shift in momentum, particularly when his replacement Luke Miles was sin binned for repeated infringements.
The away response was positive and half breaks from Stenson and Ryley Longmuir carried the play deep into the home 22 where Bedford Athletic laid siege to their host’s try line.
This ended with Alade once again sniping over the line, and also saw Stamford reduced to 14 men with a yellow card of their own.
Stenson converted and Bedford Athletic led 24-19.
As the clock wound down, Stamford became increasingly desperate to try and add to their score but were not helped by two missed penalty kicks to touch from their fly half, as Bedford Athletic’s ill discipline threatened to undo them.
The turning point came when winger, Freddie Wells turned the ball over on his own try line stopping a certain try and even a late and unnecessary sin binning for Erran Singh-Soomal for a high tackle did not change the end result.
A solid start to the season sees Bedford Athletic with three wins from three matches, together with bonus points in each, for a full haul of 15 points.
This record will be put to the test with the visit of league favourites Shelford on Saturday (17 October) with a 3pm kick off at Putnoe Woods.
Words by Jeremy Tyrrell
