Bedford Athletic fell to another defeat at Tring on Saturday (14 December) to remain bottom of Regional South East Division One.
They did take an early lead and narrowed the gap in the second half, but by the end, their opponents had pulled away to a comfortable 42-24 win.
With just one more game to come in 2024, against second-placed Letchworth Garden City, the Ath are now in serious danger of finishing the calendar year looking up at the rest of the division.
Against a team that they have never beaten, Bedford Athletic were first on the scoreboard in the 14th minute with an opening try for Lewis Sharp.
Sam Valpy kicked the conversion and it was some credit to the side that they kept their hosts scoreless until the 27th minute. The score did eventually come though and it was finished off by full back Oliver Green with Ben Hogan adding the conversion.
Bedford Athletic’s response was immediate, with pacey winger Bradley McKenna scoring from the restart. They were not to keep the advantage through to half time though with Tring responding with two tries in the final ten minutes of the half.
First, hooker Alex Osmond burrowed over on 31 minutes and, following a yellow card for Lewis Sharp, scrum half Ben Hogan crossed the line, Hogan converting both scores for a 21-12 half time lead.
Tring maintained their ascendancy with the man advantage at the start of the second half with their bonus point try scored by winger Alfie Robbins, Hogan’s kick taking the score out to 28-12.
Thereafter, Bedford Athletic enjoyed something of a revival.
On 55, minutes hooker Chris Elliott, who has not been a regular in the side since the 2014-15 season, crossed for a score in his first match of the campaign and it was an out and out debutant winger Tomos Howells who got the bonus point try in the 66th minute.
Valpy converted the earlier score as the gap in the match narrowed to 28-24.
However, it was Tring who were to prove they had the greater stamina and staying power in the final minutes of the game and they crossed for two further tries, both converted to take the final score 42-24.
Bedford Athletic did earn a try scoring bonus point but stay five points away from safety at the foot of the table. However it is wins not bonus points that the side need and the next opportunity for that is at home to Letchworth on Saturday at Putnoe Woods with a 3pm kick off.
Words by Jeremy Tyrrell
