Bedford Athletic are still alive in RFU Regional South East Division One after they ground out a hard fought 29-27 derby win at home to Old Northamptonians on Saturday (1 March), completing a league double over their near neighbours in the process.
The Ath are now six points from safety, but games are running out in order to pull off the great escape.
The first chance went the way of the home side as a penalty was kicked to touch.
From the lineout, the ball was driven forward, first by debutant inside centre Dylan Edgington and then 8 Nick Tarr, who touched down for the opening try on 3 minutes, converted by scrum half Michael Trigg.
The Old Northamptonians response was immediate.
From a lineout of their own, they quickly spread play across the pitch creating space on the right wing for Callum Lodder to speed over for the try. Bedford Athletic responded with a penalty from Trigg to lead 10-5 before Old Northamptonians attacked again.
Their first effort was frustrated when a burst from fly half Rory Seymour ended with a forward pass, but they once again had success in finding width at speed to release Lodder for his second try on 17 minutes, again unconverted.
Bedford Athletic regained the kick off and this provided the platform for an assault on the visitors’ line.
Trigg got the team on the front foot with a snipe through the ruck, and when the ball went wide winger Bradley McKenna was able to run the ball in for the second try, again converted by Trigg.
The visitors applied pressure from the kick off with a series of scrums keeping Bedford Athletic in their own half.
Although the home side refused to buckle, their cause was not helped by a lost line out and a charged down kick. Eventually they worked their way back to half way where a scrum penalty on the half hour mark shifted momentum to them.
Now it was Bedford Athletic carrying play deep into their opponent’s half.
A penalty kick was missed but the pressure was maintained and after several rolling mauls were hauled down, yellow cards saw second row Tom Heslop and prop Jake Diggin dismissed leaving the visitors with 13 men.
Eventually, Bedford Athletic found the resultant space as hooker Charlie Darlow crashed over on the left wing to give Bedford Athletic a 22-10 half time lead.
The start of the second half did not go well for the home side.
Despite their numerical advantage, too often their passes were inaccurate, possession was surrendered or breaks inadequately supported, allowing Old Northamptonians to snuff out any chances.
Instead, it was they who scored at the end of this period as full back Luke Newton slotted a penalty.
Restored to fifteen men, the visitors immediately attacked with purpose and Matt Parry crashed over by the posts for a try converted by Newton that made the score 22-20 on 52 minutes.
Unlike in previous weeks, the home side quickly gathered themselves and got straight back into the game; a series of penalties allowing them to attack down the left wing and then pressurise the visitors’ line.
First Ryley Longmuir was held up as he tried to maul the ball over but then the ball was fed wide to McKenna who squeezed in at the corner for the bonus point try. Trigg converted from the touchline and a 29-20 lead in the 57th minute.
Old Northamptonians immediately demonstrated their threat as they advanced into the home side’s half, kicking a penalty to the five metre line and then mauling their way over for a second try for Parry.
Despite the ball falling off the tee, the conversion was kicked making the score 29-27 with 15 minutes left to play.
From here, to the finish the match see-sawed between both sides.
The visitors had two further kickable penalties both of which were missed and Bedford Athletic found themselves in possession and playing down the clock in the final minutes.
They still had time to lose a lineout ball to a knock on, conceding a scrum and then a penalty seeing them defending the final minute in their own half, but they held on and secured a vital win.
The result sees Bedford Athletic close the gap to safety to six points with three matches left to play and they are now three points behind second from bottom Amersham and Chiltern who are this Saturday’s visitors to Putnoe Woods with a 3pm kick off.
Words by Jeremy Tyrrell
